


Blue Skies

by lordbeatrice



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Multi, Past Relationship(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-09
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-04-30 00:57:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5144408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordbeatrice/pseuds/lordbeatrice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Juvia had wholeheartedly believed that Fairy Tail would be the place that brought about her own fairy tale. Her happy ending. </p><p>And it did. It just didn't last. </p><p>Now there's a permanent grey sky over Magnolia and Cana's sick of coming home in the rain. So she's determined to cheer Juvia up. </p><p>Now she's doing, or trying to do exactly that, only she's convinced she's pretty terrible at it. Maybe though both of them will end up with an ending they didn't expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Belief

**Author's Note:**

> **SPOILERS**  
> This is set after the current manga story line, the Alvarez one. I've tried not to include anything too specific, but there are mentions of moments in the manga that haven't as yet appeared in the anime. 
> 
> This is very much a Cana/Juvia fic, because there's something about the two of them that really works for me. I think they make a great team and have some real chemistry. I just think they're lovely together at the end of the day. 
> 
> As for Gray, I've not necessarily painted him in the best light for this fic. I think that's because I honestly can't see Gruvia ever working as a pairing. It only ever seems like Gray does this out of some warped obligation he feels towards Juvia, and personally, I think both of them deserve so much more than that. 
> 
> Gray, though, is one of my all time favourite characters in Fairy Tail and I'd like to give both him and Juvia the happy ending that they deserve. So this is my interpretation of same. This is one happy ending I'd like to see happen, even though I'm fairly confident that it won't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, a huge thank you to everyone, who read and left kudos, it means the world! 
> 
> Hopefully this is the the last particularly unhappy chapter for this story, I won't say that it'll be all puppies and rainbows from here on out, but less doom and gloom. I'm a sucker for a bit of fluff at the end of the day. 
> 
> So sit back, read and enjoy!

Once Cana has decided something, there isn’t much that can dissuade her from her path. Gildarts always assumes that it’s something she’d got from her mother, and looking at him, Cana is inclined to agree. Sure, he’s as stubborn as a mule, but he changes moods with the wind. Cana isn’t that person. 

She’s determined. Not necessarily about the things that should matter, because drinking and making friends has always been more important than anything else in her life. She hasn’t sought out a family because she has Fairy Tail and wanting anything more seemed, greedy. 

It wasn’t because she still felt guilty about lying to them all those years ago. Or that she’d never lived up to being Gildarts’ daughter, sure she’d become an S-Class mage, but Cana never harnessed that raw power, which he possessed. People aren’t awed by Cana in the same way they are by Gildarts. Time might fix that, but she’s never been patient enough to find out. 

If she’s honest with herself, it’s probably because she doesn’t care about those things. She’d rather do smaller jobs that paid well and let her drink with Wakaba, just Wakaba these days, and watch everyone else around her be happy. That made her happy. 

Except well, Juvia isn’t happy and Cana’s at a loss at how to fix that. She wants Juvia to be happy. Wants Juvia to have everything that Cana herself doesn’t care about, or thinks she doesn’t. She wants it not to rain. 

That’s a bit selfish but Wendy has been running herself ragged trying to fix everyone’s coughs and colds. The tiny mage always distressed that Juvia won’t let Wendy tend to her. Juvia politely turns her away and Wendy is there, standing at the other side of the door, unable to do anything. She never cries, but simply stands there, waiting, before leaving quietly. Cana drinks a little more each time she sees it. 

Cana doesn’t want either of them upset. Anyone upset. Everyone’s been too upset. But she’ll fix this. She’ll put a smile back on Juvia’s face, because Juvia deserves a happy ending. She deserves a happy ending because she’d believed in it more than any of the rest of them had. 

She had hope when everyone despaired over the break up of Team Natsu. Had hope that they’d come back together, only it’s five years later and that hasn’t happened. Those lot are the most stubborn bastards in Fairy Tail and no one has ever been able to tell them what to do. Especially in regards to each other. 

Maybe though, Cana can fix this. This one thing. Put a smile back on some faces around her. Give them the happiness that she doesn’t deserve. 

 

6 years ago… 

 

Juvia is so happy. 

The guilt she bore over Silver’s death is never too far from the surface, but Gray’s forgiveness eased that. His assurances that Silver had wanted exactly that. That Juvia had fulfilled his father’s dying wish. That being a reanimated corpse had not been, how either of them wanted to continue their relationship as father and son. It is better, so much better, for him to be reunited with Gray’s mother. 

Gray didn’t blame her. He let her live with him. They ate together, trained together, woke up in the same house. They were together. They had a life together. It is small and fragile but it is theirs. Theirs alone. 

They hadn’t slept together. Gray is insistent about that. It is too much too soon. He’d just lost his father and he wasn’t prepared to commit to something like that. 

He is so grateful to have Juvia there. He told her that often. That she anchored him, made him feel less lost. 

Juvia should have known that he is lying to both of them. 

She didn’t think Gray is cruel enough to lie to her alone. That the loss of his father had simply convinced him that having Juvia there is something that he also wanted. That he needed someone around who had pleasant memories of the father that he’d lost. No matter how brief they might be. Juvia is that person and Gray indulged her in return. 

It should have been obvious then that maybe the fairy tale she had wanted wouldn’t come about. This here is their chance, and she thought if she gave Gray time, that he’d be the prince she’d dreamed of. That it is coming, slowly, but it is coming. 

She didn’t question that he kept disappearing. That those disappearances became longer and more protracted. That when he came back, he wouldn’t say where he’d been. Just continued on with the life they’d built. 

Until one day he didn’t. 

Six months Juvia waited for him, believing that he’d come through the door at any instant. That the life they’d created would begin again and everything would be as it was. 

Someone came to her door. Not Gray. 

Natsu, Lucy, Wendy and Charles came instead, and Juvia couldn’t bear the looks that were thrown her way. It hadn’t worked this time, but she’d get her life with Gray. 

Natsu would bring Gray home to her. 

 

Present day… 

 

Juvia isn’t quite sure what she’s doing here. Weeks, in which she hasn’t left her room. Her room. Once again rented in Fairy Hills. Only this time around, Juvia doesn’t remember it being so big and empty.

It wasn’t, she supposed, when she used to live here. Everything covered and buried under her love for Gray. Her hope for their future. 

There’s none of that anymore. None of that, because they don’t have a future. Their future was nothing more than a false start. A foolish dream born from sad times. From the hope for a better future. From that stupid name. 

Gray hasn’t been at Fairy Tail since it had ended with Juvia. He’s studiously avoiding the guild and taking jobs that will result in longer periods away. Mira had looked at Juvia sadly when she’d asked. Saying that maybe what both of them needs is some space. There is a tinge of pity in her statement, almost as if Gray’s destiny is never going to align with Juvia’s. 

Juvia wondered if everybody else had seen it. When everybody else had seen it. Why nobody had ever told her. 

Perhaps they all believed in it as well. 

Like that there’s a possibility that after everything, Jellal and Erza might have their own happy ending. That all those years of heartbreak, misery and unrequited love could be forgotten and they’d be happy. That both of them could forget the people they were to love the people they are. 

It had yet to happen but there’s some hope about it. That because they were still single, that maybe, just maybe, Erza and Jellal might end up together. 

Apparently everyone in Fairy Tail believes in a happy ending. 

Juvia wonders if that’s why she is here with Cana. On her first job without Gray in 5 years. 

Maybe Cana believes in happy endings too.


	2. Belief

It was the name Fairy Tail. 

That was what Juvia was sure of. Sure there was this spiel about what a fairy tail might be, or if even fairies have tails, but it was that hope. The hope that it all represented, that after you’d put in all the hours, that you did the right thing, that all the heartache and pain would leave you at your fairy tale. 

That happy ending that everyone was secretly hoping for. 

It wasn’t even that unattainable. Levy and Gajeel had been married 5 years now, and Juvia was confident that baby number 3 was on the way. Laxus and Freed had come out to the guild, not that there was much surprise, and had their own place in Magnolia. Bisca and Alzack had now been together for almost 12 years, and seemed as happy as they ever had been. 

Warren had found a nice girl in town to marry last year. Max had a family of his own. Laki was still relishing in her rather surprising bloodlust and had taken on jobs that could harness that to the greatest ability. 

Mirajane had cried at Elfman’s wedding to Evergreen. Natsu and Lisanna had briefly rekindled their thing, but that hadn’t gone anywhere much, not that it seemed to bother either of them. Their friendship still strong after all these years. 

For the most part, people at Fairy Tail had found their happy endings. Or endings they could be happy with. 

Except Juvia. 

That’s wasn’t quite true. Juvia had got her happy ending. It just hadn’t lasted. 

 

5 years ago… 

It was the end of the Alvarez battle and this didn’t feel like the victory that it was. 

Macao had lost his life saving Romeo. Romeo, who hadn’t spoken to anyone since then. He simply sat next to Wakaba and waited for his mother to come to the guild. 

Bisca was being tended to, her back cut to ribbons while she protecting Alzack and Asuka. Poluchka had tutted a lot while tending to her. Gildarts had lost an arm, which he was taking well considering, though Cana had never looked so pale. Elfman, Jellal, Rogue and Bixlow were tended to next, sporting various injuries from the battle. 

Most of the guild had spent their magic. The guilds that had come to their aid, in no better shape. They were hurt and bruised and so very tired. 

They had saved Magnolia. Saved the Fairy Heart. It just seemed so much less of a victory this time. There was no celebration, only mourning. Mourning and self loathing. 

Zeref was still out there. Disappeared after Natsu had failed to kill him. 

Natsu, who was angrier than anyone had ever seen him. Flames seemed to burst from him at regular intervals and everyone was too nervous to approach him. Laxus had tried, but Natsu had said something and Laxus hadn't tried again. 

That wasn’t the worst of it. In the past, this situation would be resolved by Gray telling Natsu to suck it up, Erza smacking him up the side of the head and telling him that she understood, and Lucy listening quietly and being the friend that he needed, but that didn’t happen. Natsu, Gray, Erza and Lucy couldn’t even look at each other. they simply helped tend to the others that needed it. Their focus deliberately not on each other. 

It wasn’t until weeks later that anyone in the guild noticed. Noticed that these four, who had always been so close, couldn’t even bear the sight of one another any more. That they might talk, but it was brief and to the point. They didn’t take jobs together. Didn’t sit together. Didn’t answer when anyone asked them why. 

There seemed to be small attempts to fix it. A helping hand from Mira, a small nudge from Levy, a kind word from Wendy and sterner words from Markarov. 

Nothing seemed to fix it. The four of them formed new relationships in the guild. Natsu started working with Jet and Droy, given Levy was now working with Gajeel predominately. Lucy started working with Wendy and Lisanna, and the three of them seemed very happy together. Gray started working jobs with Juvia and her alone. 

Juvia should have noticed then. Should have known that this was not the beginning she wanted from her happy ending. That it might be another false start, like that last time. That maybe, just maybe, because of this rift that, it had even come about at all. Weakened Gray’s resolve, or maybe given him a false impression of what he wanted. That this was exactly what he’d promised her, what he was going to say that night on the balcony. Their moment under the stars. 

So when he told her that he did want to be with her, Juvia was too happy to realise that it was happening for all the wrong reasons. That Gray was clinging to her as his only safe port in the storm that was this moment. Knowing Juvia would always choose to be by his side, when his closest friends in the world had walked away. 

She was naive. 

She believed in her fairy tale. 

 

Present day… 

Cana slams the door to the girl’s dorm at Fairy Tail. It’s cold and wet and she’s angry. 

Angry because it always seems to be cold and wet these days. A large grey cloud had settled in over Magnolia and she comes home wet every day to Fairy Hills. Something that she’s tired of. Tired of forgetting that it might ever be sunny. Or that an umbrella is no longer optional. 

Growling, she runs a hand through her wet hair. Subtlety has never been Cana’s forte, and with a couple of drinks under her belt, she stomps her way towards Juvia’s room and slams her fist into the door. 

‘Juvia! I’m soaked through here and unfortunately, I’m not drunk enough to see the novelty in that. Cut back on the rain will you!’ 

The door opens a crack, and Cana takes a step back at Juvia’s appearance. She hasn’t seen the other girl in weeks and she’s shocked. Juvia has always been perfectly put together, even more so than most of the other girls in the guild, but now. Juvia’s hair is plastered to her face, she’s pale and sallow, and her clothes are almost translucent. 

Cana supposes that's what happens when it’s raining inside the room. The very bare, barren room. Gone are all the Gray, well, everything. There are no posters, pictures, pillows or anything else Gray that Juvia had collected over the years. 

Cana suddenly feels very guilty for yelling at her. 

‘Sorry,’ Juvia whispers. 

‘Ahh, it’s no bother. A couple more drinks and I won’t even remember it.’ 

Cana smiles, but Juvia doesn’t return it.

‘Juvia’s still sorry.’ 

Cana looks at the girl in front of her. Her drunken and emotionally stunted heart aches for her, because nobody had seen this. This ending. Or maybe everyone had, but they had been so swept up in it all that they’d forgotten it was inevitable. 

‘Do you want a drink?’ Cana offers. After all, when in doubt, offer alcohol. 

‘No, thank you.’ 

Cana doesn’t take offence when the door is shut in her face. 

She simply sighs and goes back to her room to change and finish that barrel, which is waiting for her. She looks back at the door to Juvia’s room and decides that it’s time to try and put an end to the rain. Juvia deserves that much.


	3. Rain over Weissel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cana drags Juvia out on a job in an attempt to make her feel better, unfortunately for her, it's probably the worst location for a job ever. In fact, Cana's pretty sure that she's messed up worse than she ever has before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again to everyone who's been reading and leaving kudos, you're all magnificent human specimens. 
> 
> This story as of this chapter, links into my other story 'Frosch's Day Out', in that I've pinched locations and characters from that. So consider it all part of my own Fairy Tail canon. I had an idea for what Team Natsu has been doing throughout all of this, so that might be something that comes into being at a later date. 
> 
> Also while a little less than cheery, there's some lighter moments from this point onwards, as promised.

Cana thinks that maybe, just maybe, she’s made a terrible mistake. That she should have given this task to Mira or Wendy or really anyone else in Fairy Tail. Ok, not Gajeel, because he’s got the subtlety of a dragon in heat, but anyone else. 

She’s out of her depth, because she’s been raised by Fairy Tail. She’s got a father she doesn’t mind that she never sees, and has no illusions about him being anything other than a completely useless twat most of the time. She’s been one of the guys and therefore, has the emotional range of a peanut. Not because they do, but because there’s never been expectation that she’s needed to have more. 

Less. She’s got the emotional range of Natsu, because even though she does love the boy, he’s got two settings, laid back and enraged. There’s little in-between, even when his heart is in the right place, more so then, because that usually involves Fairy Tail being trotted over hot coals for something stupid he’s done. Like that time with the bloody tree for Lucy. 

It is sweet and considerate, but maybe stealing the tree which is Magnolia’s pride and joy is a bad idea. 

Cana is convinced that this might be her tree. That this idea is as pointless and stupid as that, because sure, her heart is in the right place, but she knows one way to fix a problem. She’s used that same method for years. 

Alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. 

She doesn’t talk about it. Doesn’t whinge or moan. She drinks it away and everything is good again. Apart from that one moment of weakness on Tenrou Island with Lucy, before she saw Gildarts for what he was. That’s the exception, never the rule. 

A good drink is the way to get through anything life may throw at you. 

You don’t take people who are grieving the end of their relationship with the love of their life, out on a job. Not this job. 

Cana is an idiot. If Juvia ever talks to her again, Cana will be frankly surprised. 

It’s her own fault, because honestly, she’s just hoping that she’d be able to see blue skies again. That the grey that had settled in with the rain might finally dissipate, however, it’s only followed them to this small town in the hills. She really should have known that would have been the case. She knows that Juvia is the rain, or something to that effect. How hard is it to have blue skies and to see the people around her smile? 

Very. It’s very hard. 

She’s trying to choose something that should be fun. Something that will take Juvia’s mind off the agony that is Gray. 

She hadn’t realised that this town made ice sculptures. That part of their job would involve them helping clear up after the town festival. It’s the middle of summer. That’s the best thing. It’s hot pretty much everywhere in Fiore. 

There should be no ice anywhere. Certainly not in the town of Weissel. 

Cana is an idiot. She should have simply offered the alcohol. 

 

3 years ago… 

 

Juvia is thrilled when Gray suggests a trip. 

Not a job. 

Simply a trip for the two of them. They’ll head off and have some time to themselves. Away from Fairy Tail, from Magnolia, from everyone else. 

This is where they’re at their best. They sync in a way that seems impossible when they’re at Fairy Tail. There’s too many outside influences, too many other voices and they get overwhelmed. Erza keeps offering to plan the wedding, a small, almost earnest smile on her face as she does (not in front of Gray, but she talks to Juvia about it). Lucy talks about how jealous she is, that finding someone like they have is good news (she always invites Juvia around for tea when she wants to talk about this, never in the guildhall). Levy and Gajeel offer a double date. Even Freed and Laxus suggest doing something together every now and then. Freed’s quite candid about their relationship, and Juvia gets a small frill from comparing notes with the green haired man. 

It does distract though. 

In those moments, there’s a version of Gray that Juvia doesn’t see. He’s lively and animated in a way that he isn’t when he’s with her. When he’s with her, he’s quieter, more subdued. 

He’s loving, there’s no doubt about that. He’s affectionate and tender, but it’s limited. 

It’s not joyous and Juvia knows that Gray has a lot to get past. He’s got baggage that he carries like a constant burden and he can’t see his way to letting go of it yet. He tells her that it will come. That he’ll get to a point where it will be them. 

Juvia believes him. She thinks Gray believes himself. 

It’s different to the last time. Gray is more honest with her. He doesn’t disappear. He doesn’t do things without talking to her first. He suggests moving in. He suggests that they go on jobs, just the two of them. That they work on their relationship, because it’s the most important thing. Juvia is the most important thing. 

He’s so convincing that Juvia forgets for a time that there is this baggage. This trip, he smiles like he hasn’t smiled since Silver. His eyes are bright and he talks to the people in the village. He’s met them before and he’s excitedly showing her the sculptures for the festival. 

There’s one girl, Valerie, who he chats with fondly. Comments on her sculpture, which is amazing, Juvia has never seen anything more spectacular. It’s a dragon, and Juvia could swear that as the light moves across it during the day, that the dragon is moving. 

She’s so happy. Gray’s so happy. 

He even dances with her, and Juvia knows in this moment that they will be happy forever. He never dances but when the music comes on, he offers his hand, with a smile and a wink, and as he moves her around the town square, he tells her that he loves her. 

In that moment, Juvia knows that he means it with everything that he is. 

 

Present day… 

 

Juvia doesn’t tell Cana that she’s come here in the past with Gray. Doesn’t need to. 

Valerie comes running as soon as she sees Juvia. After that first year, Juvia and Gray came back every year for the festival. It is their time. Something outside of Fairy Tail that just the two of them could share. It’s a memory she didn’t think she’d ever have to share. Yet, here she is, and Valerie is talking and smiling and Cana is standing there. 

Juvia and Valerie have become good friends, or as good friends as Juvia has ever had. She’s not a member of Fairy Tail, but that is the appeal. She’s always liked Juvia, simply for Juvia’s sake. There’s no obligation associated from the guild. Juvia’s never said it, but she worries that Fairy Tail embraced her because that’s what it does. Not that it did it for her sake, but because they don’t know any other way. 

When Valerie asks after Gray, she knows that she’s said the wrong thing immediately. Cana goes deathly pale, Valerie stumbles and it begins to rain. Rain harder. 

It always rains these days. 

She hears Cana stutter out an apology to her, but she’s not really listening. She also hears when Cana explains why Gray isn’t here. She’s ignoring both of them, not wanting to listen to the sad story of her life. That’s what Juvia’s life has always been, a sad story. 

Gray wasn’t meant to be a sad story. Juvia had too many of those and when she met Gray she knew, knew, that he would be the end to them. He’s dashing and noble, and seemed to genuinely care what happened to her, despite her being an enemy at the time. He even welcomed her to Fairy Tail with no hesitation. 

She was forceful about what she wanted from him, and he turned her down, but gently. Always considerate of her feelings in all of this. She wonders now if maybe she should have listened to him when he kept saying no. Instead of believing that it would all come good. 

Cana and Valerie have stopped talking and Juvia starts paying attention again. She suggests they all go for a drink, and almost smiles when Cana breathes a sigh of relief at the suggestion. Juvia knows that the other mage is trying to help and bears her no ill will for this. She appreciates the effort, but she’s back here in Weissel and everything is that much more painful for it. 

All these people were part of her happy ending. A part of her life with Gray. A life that she doesn’t have still. 

Maybe Cana has always had the right idea. Juvia doesn’t want to talk about it. She doesn’t want to remember it. Tonight she just wants to have a drink with her friends and forget about it. 

She’s confident that she can do that.

She’s tired of the rain too.


	4. Laughter and wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juvia, Cana and Valerie go for a drink in Weissel pub and some interesting truths are revealed:
> 
> ‘I’ll need a lot more ale for you to convince me of that,’ Cana says, shaking her head, ‘Gray Fullbuster does not dance. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve only ever seen him do it out of politeness and he certainly doesn’t do it just because.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! It's been a less than pleasant time for the world as a whole, so hopefully this is something a little more fun and less depressing than the last few chapters have been, because lets face it, Cana and alcohol shouldn't be anything other than good fun. 
> 
> Thanks again to every magnificent person who's been reading and leaving kudos! I'm so pleased that you're enjoying it.

The inn in Weissel is warm, and there’s a dry breeze blowing in from the window. The ice sculptures shine outside the window and the three girls sit, having a drink. Cana’s ordered an ale, not a barrel this time, but a single flagon. She’s here for Juvia and she’ll be damned if she’ll use her mistake as an excuse to drink herself into a oblivion to forget about it. It’s tempting. So very tempting, but she’s strong enough to resist it. 

Juvia is hesitant when ordering, so Cana takes pity and orders for her. Eventually choosing an iced apple wine. Cana’s confident that it should be sweet enough to appeal to Juvia, while not being too strong for her. She knows that Juvia isn’t a big drinker and she’s concerned that given everything, this might be the perfect excuse for Juvia to try out being Cana for a day. Cana’s selfish enough not to want to hand over the title. Also she doesn’t really want to have to carry Juvia to bed when it’s all over.

Cana feels guilty. So very, very guilty. Sitting here with Juvia and Valerie, she knows she made a mistake in taking this job. She didn’t know that Gray and Juvia came here. That this is their place. Of course, this is their place. It’s the middle of the summer and there’s ice sculptures. Bloody beautiful ice sculptures. Cana takes a long swig and wishes again that she had less self control. 

She can see what they liked about it. What brought them back year after year. She’s a little surprised that Gray is so romantic but she’s going to hand it to him, this place is pretty much perfect. God, she is such an idiot. This trip is designed to have Juvia forget about Gray, if only for a moment. To stop wallowing in her room. To stop having Wendy pace up and down the halls. To stop it raining, just a bit. 

Cana’s really bollocksed this up. 

Then Juvia laughs. It’s not loud and raucous like most of Fairy Tail. It’s small, timid, but it’s there. A definite laugh and it’s pure and Cana’s not sure that she’s heard a more wonderful sound.

Cana thinks then, that maybe she hasn’t screwed up quite as badly as she thinks she has. Juvia is sad, but there’s a small smile on her face and she’s brightened up a bit. There’s even some colour back in her cheeks, but that might be the wine. Either way, Cana feels a bit better. She even thinks that it might have stopped raining outside, but she’s not concerned.

So she slumps back in her chair and takes a drink of the cold ale in front of her, only to spit it straight back out, with the next words out of Valerie’s mouth. 

‘I’ve never seen anyone dance so well as Gray.’ 

Cana blinks a couple of times. 

‘Excuse me?’ 

Valerie looks confused but Juvia smiles again. 

‘Juvia and Gray-sama always used to dance when we came here. There’s a party at the end of the festival and we’d dance the night away. It was Juvia’s favourite part of each trip.’ 

‘Gray dances? I mean not some stuffy two step that he’s required to do at an official function, but actually dances. Moves his hips, shakes his arse, and all that?’ Cana asks, disbelief colouring her tone. 

‘Yes,’ Juvia answers, shyly, ‘Gray-sama is quite the dancer.’ 

‘Really?’ 

‘Yes.’ 

‘I saw it with my own two eyes,’ Valerie agrees, ‘It is quite the sight.’ 

‘I’ll need a lot more ale for you to convince me of that,’ Cana says, shaking her head, ‘Gray Fullbuster does not dance. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve only ever seen him do it out of politeness and he certainly doesn’t do it just because.’ 

Juvia sighs and Cana sighs. Maybe she was right, maybe this isn’t such a great idea. 

‘I’m sorry, I mean we shouldn’t be talking about Gray,’ she says. 

‘I’m sorry too, I mean I brought it up,’ Valerie apologises. 

‘No, it’s alright. Juvia can’t go the rest of her life avoiding talking about him. Besides this is always a happy memory. Juvia would like to think that it might still be.’ 

Cana and Valerie smile at Juvia. Cana infinitely relieved that she hasn’t hurt her friend. Because it’s a fact of life of a Fairy Tail mage, it’s very hard to avoid any other member of the guild for too long. It’s certainly an impossibility to go through life without mention of them ever. Fairy Tail is a family and you can’t choose your family. 

So you learn to live with them, for better or for worse. 

Cana eagerly agrees when Juvia suggests another round, because you use whatever tools in your arsenal to cope with that, and Cana has made an art form out of avoiding her issues, so she’ll happily indulge Juvia in avoiding hers. 

Talking about it has very rarely fixed anything. 

 

4 years ago… 

Gray still isn’t talking to Natsu, Erza and Lucy. 

Juvia knows that this is a bad thing but struggles to broach the topic with Gray. These are both their friends, she knows that, but at the same time, they were Gray’s friends long before they were Juvia’s. She’s sure that there’s some history there that no one else in Fairy Tail knows about because if there wasn’t, this wouldn’t have lasted so long. 

These people are family, the closest people in the world to each other and now, they can’t stand to be in each other’s company for mere moments. They go off on jobs, separately, every time. Lucy doesn’t wake up to Natsu in her apartment, Gray and Erza nod at each other but don’t linger, and everything is so wrong that it makes Juvia’s heart ache. This is her family too, and she can’t bear their pain.

So when she asks Gray about it, she knows that she’s walking a fine line. Gray’s not open about these things, he never has been. There are brief moments where he’s honest, tells her how important she is, how much he loves her, how much he appreciates her, how much he forgives her, but those aren’t specifics. 

They’re true. Most definitely, but they aren’t revealing. Juvia sees a side to Gray that only she gets to see, yet she’s sure that it’s just one of many. That he doesn’t truly let his guard down around her. She pretends like it doesn’t matter, because now, he’s her Gray. No one else gets to see this side of him and it’s genuine. But that doesn’t stop the nagging doubt that she’ll say the wrong thing and everything will crumble around them. 

Juvia believes wholeheartedly that they’re meant to be together, but she’s been turned away by him more than she’s been accepted and she knows, knows how cruel the world and the people in it can be. That memory is strong enough that she hasn’t absolute faith in this relationship, much and all as she loves Gray. There’s a feeling of uncertainty that she can’t shake. 

As such, she’s nervous when she asks. Nervous because Gray leaves for six months if Erza asks him to. Nervous because even though he loves her, and she’s certain of that, she’s not sure he’d do the same thing for her. 

When he tells her to leave it alone, she’s not surprised. The harsh tone and short temper with her is a surprise though, because her Gray is neither of those things. This is their family though, and he’s hurting along with them. 

So she asks again. 

He turns away from her and pulls his trump card. The one sentence that will ensure that Juvia never speaks another word about this issue. That she’ll leave it alone. When he says it, for a brief moment, Juvia hates him and her for what they are to each other. That this is all it takes for them to break the other. 

‘If you love me, you won’t ask about it again.’ 

She never asks. 

 

Present day…

Juvia laughs. 

It’s rough and hesitant at first, but becomes easier as the day wears on. It becomes more natural and she can’t remember the last time that she did laugh. Laughing has never been a part of her life, there were too many moments that demanded a certain sobriety that she lost the habit of it. She wonders if perhaps she never really developed the skill. 

Now, here with Cana and Valerie, she wishes she’d laughed more in her life. That she’d made the people around her laugh more. It warming and for the first time in such a long period, Juvia forgets that she’s been too cold for too long. 

Forgets that the cold started seeping in while she was living out her happy ending. That her ice mage could have been a part of that. That she was part of that. Maybe that is to be expected, after all cold seems to be company of a water elemental and an ice mage. It’s all that they would ever be together. 

Magic isn’t necessarily enough to dispel the nature of either ice or water. 

Still she sits here and drinks the wine in front of her, and understands. Understands why Cana drinks this all the time, because it lights a fire within you. It’s warm and comforting, like an old friend. She feels like someone has their arms wrapped around her, and for the first time in so long, those arms aren’t Gray’s. 

She laughs when someone challenges Cana to a drinking competition. Laughs harder when they end up under the table and Cana crows triumphantly. 

She smiles. 

She drinks. 

She forgets. 

For a brief moment, the sky above stops it’s heavy downpour.


	5. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world is spinning. Literally spinning on it's axis and Juvia's feeling every movement of it. 
> 
> She hates Cana for bouncing around the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **SPOILERS**
> 
> This chapter has some quite specific spoilers for the end of the Tartaros arc, the Avatar ERA arc and the Alvarez arc, so lots of things that haven't happened as of yet in the anime, so tread lightly and avoid the Gruvia flashback if you want to avoid any spoilers. 
> 
> Having said that, I'm so touched by everyone who has read and left kudos on this. You're all my favourite people. 
> 
> This chapter is keeping with a more lighthearted tone of the last one, so a little less angst for the time being. 
> 
> So enjoy!!

Juvia groans when she awakes the next morning. 

Everything hurts. Her head hurts. Her eyes hurt. Her ears hurt. Her muscles positively ache. Everything is painful, slow and stiff and she wonders if Cana is much more powerful than anyone ever is lead to believe, because she’s bouncing around the room like she’s been rejuvenated and reborn. 

Juvia hates her for it. 

Then forgives her the second that Cana comes bouncing over, coffee in hand, smile on her face and offers the cup to Juvia. Juvia rethinks her previous assessment of Cana, Cana is not only stupidly powerful but a goddamned saint. 

Taking the warm cup in hand, and feels a little more human again. 

‘Thank you,’ Juvia whispers. 

‘No worries. My fault totally. Should have paid more attention to how much you were drinking. Didn’t think that stuff had enough of a kick to lay you down, but I suppose you’re not much of a drinker. Anyway, coffee, coffee fixes everything,’ Cana babbles, bouncing still. 

Juvia smiles a small smile at that. The coffee might be making her more human, but Cana’s bouncing is making her a little dizzy. So she closes her eyes and lays her head back against the pillow. 

‘Are you up for food?’ Cana asks. 

Juvia looks over and grimaces. The thought of food turns Juvia’s stomach and the room spins a little enhancing her nausea. Food seems like the worst possible idea at this moment. So she closes her eyes and focuses on the coffee in her hands and how wonderful it smells. She opens them with some trepidation to see Cana still smiling at her.

‘No to the food then,’ Cana says. 

‘Juvia couldn’t eat.’ 

‘No worries, don’t want to make you any sicker than you are. Now we’re cleaning up today, but if you’re feeling unwell, I’m happy to take care of it,’ Cana smiles broadly, and there’s no hint of resentment about it. 

Juvia feels guilty at this. She knows that Cana invited her to try and cheer her up. To get her out and about in the world again, but she’s proven more a hinderance than anything else. Especially because she should be helping with the job, but the room keeps spinning and she’s not sure that she can manage to move. Her eyes droop close and she feels better immediately. 

Cana’s warm hand comes to take the coffee cup from Juvia. She places the cup on the side of the table and brushes a stray hair out of Juvia’s face. Cana’s hand feels almost too nice as it lingers a little and Juvia bravely open her eyes again. 

Cana doesn’t look back as she heads out. Simply tells Juvia to rest up and feel better. It’s a strange thought, but Juvia almost misses her as she heads out the door. She considers it a side effect of the alcohol, but she reaches over and takes another sip of the coffee, lays back, closes her eyes and falls back asleep. 

 

5 years ago… 

 

Juvia is excited. 

Too excited. 

She bounces along in Fairy Tail. Today is the day. The day. It’s the morning of her first official job in Fairy Tail with Gray. Just the two of them. They’re off and even though they’ve been together for a few months now, the aftermath of the Alvarez battle means that there’s been other things to do, work and repairs to be done around here, before jobs could be taken again. 

After all, Fairy Tail wasn’t really re-established as a guild before all of this happened. There had been paperwork rushed to the Magic Council naming Erza as the new master, because Erza was the only person other than Markarov that could ever control the rabble, which are the members of Fairy Tail. 

That didn’t last though, Erza took Natsu, Gray, Wendy and Mest off to the Alvarez Empire to save their Master. It didn’t matter if Erza was master in name, no one could ever truly replace Markarov. That’s just how Fairy Tail works. So Team Natsu walked out of Fairy Tail promising to return things to how they should be. To save Markarov. 

No one else got asked and it wasn’t until they returned that the secret about Fairy Heart came out. The secret that is so powerful and potentially catastrophic that Markarov couldn’t bring himself to use it when things were dire against Tartaros. 

The secret that had brought him to disband Fairy Tail. 

Today though, all of that is a distant memory because she’s off on a job with Gray. Mira smiles knowingly and asks about the work ahead. Juvia can’t remember the details exactly, there’s some talk about it last night, but there were kisses too, and they’re lingering longer in her mind. So she stumbles a bit, but that simply makes Mira smile more. 

Juvia has never been so happy walking out of Fairy Tail that day, with Gray’s hand in hers, headed off to their first job. The job should have been easy. So easy. But as with so many jobs that Fairy Tail takes on, it turns bad halfway through. There’s something else at play, and suddenly the village they’re in is about to be attacked by a dark guild. There’s about twenty of them and Gray is standing there, shouting at Juvia to get the villagers to safety before coming back to help him. 

She does what she’s told, her instincts screaming at her to stay with him. So she rounds up everyone she can find and hides them beneath the town hall. She runs back to help Gray, because even he can’t manage against 20 mages on his own. However, she’s not as careful as she should be. Too concerned about what’s about to happen to him, she doesn’t see the mage behind her. 

The explosion ripples through her. Each drop of water being forcibly separated from the other. She cries out and when she opens her eyes again, Gray is surrounded by frozen mages. The right side of his body covered in those black markings she can’t bear the sight of. 

Afterwards, when she’s being tended to by the town healer to make sure there’s no lingering damage, Gray can’t look at her. The dark guild has been arrested by the council but Gray doesn’t speak to her. Later, after they’re alone, he gathers her in his arms and makes her promise that she won’t put his life before hers. That he can’t stand to lose anyone else when he’s lost so many people in his life. He needs her to promise him this. 

Juvia hesitates, before hurriedly agreeing. 

She cannot bear the look in Gray’s eyes. That flash of disappointment. 

It’s a promise she’ll never be able to keep. 

 

Present day… 

 

When Juvia wakes again, Cana is sitting on her bed on the other side of the room. There’s two piles of money in front of her. 

Juvia moves a little and Cana looks over and smiles broadly. 

‘Hey, you’re awake,’ she says, smiles more widely. 

Juvia nods. 

‘So clean up’s all done. Nothing to it. Apparently they haven’t seen card magic before, so I got to show off a little. Not that I’m a show off or anything, Cana winks at that, ‘Might have added a bit too much flourish to a couple of things, but the guild’ll cover it. Anyway, here’s your share.’ 

Juvia shakes her head. 

‘Juvia didn’t do anything.’ 

‘Sure you did, you came with me, drank with me, that deserves a share of the loot!’ 

Juvia tries to refuse again. Pushing the money back towards Cana, but Cana shakes her head and pushes the money away. There’s a look in her eyes that Juvia can’t quite place as she does it, but she’s not sure that it’s a good thing. 

‘I’m not taking it. Either you do or we leave it here for someone to find. I don’t mind, it’s your money, you can do what you want with it,’ Cana says. 

Juvia gathers it up, putting it away, feeling uneasy about the whole thing. 

‘Juvia’s sorry.’ 

Cana looks genuinely confused. 

‘For what?’ 

‘For not helping with the job.’ 

‘Don’t worry about it. As I told you, easy done. Besides we can’t have that pretty self of yours working too hard,’ she winks at Juvia. 

Juvia blushes furiously and turns away. Cana’s always been a bit overly flirtatious for her, but now, it’s all a little too confronting. It’s too soon and she’s still plagued by the memory of Gray. Cana is a force that Juvia suspects that she could make her forget all about the man who was the love of her life. 

‘Ahh hell, sorry, my bad. Falling back into old habits. It’s too soon and I’m an idiot,’ Cana hurriedly apologises. 

‘No, it’s ok. Juvia doesn’t mind.’ 

‘I’m still sorry, I forget sometimes. That other people aren’t like me.’ 

Cana’s voice holds an edge to it, despite the fact that she’s got a smile on her face. Juvia frowns a little and wonders for the second time what is happening beneath the surface that is Cana Alberona. It’s a curiosity that she can’t seem to look away from. 

‘Come on, we better pack up and head back to the guild,’ Cana says, ‘If we’ve got some time spare we can stop for a drink on the way back.’ 

She winks at Juvia at that, expecting Juvia to still be under the weather from the night before, but with a bit extra sleep, Juvia says exactly what she’s thinking. 

‘Juvia would like that.’ 

Cana smiles.


	6. A Den of Iniquity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juvia and Cana stop for a drink on the way back to Fairy Tail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter doesn't have any spoiler warnings on it, like the last one, so there's no need to skip over the flashback, as everything in it, is purely my warped imagination. 
> 
> Once again, many thanks to everyone who's been reading and leaving kudos, it means so much! I hope you're still enjoying it, because I'm having a ball writing it. So I'd like to think that you're enjoying it as much as I am. 
> 
> This chapter is a nice fluffy chapter, that I think, might be close to my favourite of the ones I've written. It's just everything that I like about this pairing and that lovely, warmth that Fairy Tail inspires in me. 
> 
> So, please, read and enjoy! You magnificent people, you!

The road back to Fairy Tail is longer than Cana had remembered. It seems almost endless this time. She attributes the difference to nerves the first time around, distracting her from the sheer distance involved and the shame she feels from this morning. She knew better, that’s been the whole point of this trip. She licks her lips a couple of times, wishing that she’d packed a flagon or 10 for the trip home. A drink might ease her own unease at it all. 

She’s certain she’s hallucinating when Juvia speaks. 

‘There’s a tavern just up ahead, Juvia thinks it might be an idea to stop for a drink,’ Juvia says, a little hesitantly. 

‘Excuse me?’ Cana asks, certain she’s misheard the girl next to her. 

‘You did suggest that we do this. Juvia thinks it’s a good idea.’

‘Are you sure? Because I’m more than happy being a functioning alcoholic but I don’t expect you to follow me to such iniquitous depths.’ 

Also there’s this sense of foreboding about it all, like there’s just enough temptation and Cana’s not convinced that she’ll be able to stop herself being stupid. Not that Juvia knows that, and she never will.

Juvia begins to laugh. 

Cana huffs. 

‘I’m not sure it’s that funny.’ 

Juvia shakes her head, and places her hand on Cana’s arm. 

‘Juvia’s sorry.’ 

Cana huffs. 

‘It’s just, Juvia didn’t realise that you knew the word iniquitous,’ and with that, Juvia starts to laugh again. 

‘What am I? Some ill-educated lout?’ Cana grumps, folding her arms over her chest. 

Juvia smiles and shrugs. Cana throws her hands up at that.

‘Well that’s a fine state of things. I mean it’s not like I’m a capable mage, who’s been an integral part of the strongest guild in Fiore. No, apparently I’m nothing more than Wakaba’s drinking partner who manages to do magic despite her alcohol intake,’ Cana puts on an affront but there’s a smile to her words. 

Juvia laughed. This is progress and maybe Cana isn’t as terrible at this, as she first worried she might be. She knows that she just might be doing this for all the wrong reasons, but if Juvia laughs, does it really matter? Cana really hopes it doesn’t. 

‘Juvia has never thought you were any such thing.’ 

‘It doesn’t matter if you did, it’s what most people think.’ 

Juvia looks concerned at that statement. She studies Cana closely, but there’s a look in her eyes that Juvia’s having trouble placing in the dark haired mage. It seems, out of character for her. Too serious. 

‘Juvia has never thought that,’ she repeats, more forcefully. 

‘Ahh, it’s all good, after all, you suggested a drink and I’m most definitely up for one of those,’ Cana smiles broadly and ushers Juvia towards the tavern in front of them. 

Opening the door, Cana grins and winks ‘After you, Juvia, into what is certain to be a den of iniquity.’ 

Juvia smiles tentatively, which only prompts Cana to smile more broadly. 

Walking passed, Juvia looks back at her, searching for that look, but it’s disappeared. Cana is warm and bright, and the look seems to be nothing more than an illusion. 

Juvia hopes that’s the illusion. 

 

4 Years Ago…

 

To say that Levy and Gajeel’s wedding was anything other than ordinary, might have been the biggest understatement of the century. 

Gajeel sung his vows. Sung his vows. Gajeel. Sung. His. Vows. 

Juvia isn’t any connoisseur of such things, but she’s pretty sure that there’s some poor animal that had given its life, totally in vain, given the sound that is coming from the guitar he’s playing. It’s twanging, groaning and shrieking with every pluck of his fingers and she smiles wider to hide the grimace that’s quickly rising to the surface. 

The wedding is beautiful, and everyone is studiously ignoring Jet and Droy, both of whom, are in tears in the back of the group. They’ve been in tears ever since the engagement was announced and the guild has become very good at tuning them out. Though Juvia notices that Mira kindly hands them a handkerchief each, and pats them kindly. 

It doesn’t matter anyway, because Levy is smiling broadly. Positively beaming and Juvia feels warm and tingly inside at the sight of it. 

Gajeel is dressed all in white and looks a little, club, for the event. It’s very him but Juvia doesn’t much like the look as a whole. Levy, however, looks beautiful in her purple dress, with large white flowers in her hair and Juvia allows herself to daydream for a minute. 

Obviously, when she marries Gray it’ll be a more formal affair. They’ll marry in the rebuilt Kardia Cathedral. It’ll be late afternoon, when the sun shines brightly through the arched windows at the front of the church. So that when they exit, as man and wife, they’ll be bathed in pure, golden light. 

Gray will be in a black tuxedo. A three piece tuxedo, she corrects. With a periwinkle blue bowtie, to match the periwinkles that she’ll carry. The periwinkles chosen especially to match that hint of blue, the one that runs through Gray’s eyes and hair in the right light. Juvia smiles at the thought. 

She’ll wear all white of course. White too, not ivory or beige or cream or anything other than pure white. The dress will have a full skirt, with a number of fine petticoats underneath it. It’ll have a scooped waist and a wide neck with long sleeves. She’ll have a veil that’ll trail down to the middle of her back, and flutter as the breeze captures it. 

Everyone will be there. Their family, there to see them married. 

Markarov will be there to give her away. Mira will help her with the dress, fussing over the little details. Erza will cry. Lucy will shed a couple of tears, but smile broadly. Natsu will do something stupid, probably destroy the cake or the like. Juvia, makes a note of that and will make sure that there’s more than one. A decoy one. 

She’ll have Happy, Charles and Lily dropping periwinkle petals on the path in front of them. It’ll be a shower unlike anything anyone’s seen before. 

The sun will shine brightly and there will be no hint of any rain. Bright blue skies as far as the eye can see. 

She smiles broadly at the thought, and clasps Gray’s hand in her own. He smiles at her, before turning back to the wedding, just in time to see Natsu get a bit carried away and set fire to the floral arch behind the happy couple. People start screaming, Markarov is livid and Levy still has that smile on her face and Gajeel can’t take his eyes off of her. 

Later that night, Juvia positively beams when she catches the bouquet. Levy shoots her a wink, and Juvia is particularly touched by the gesture. She walks back to Gray to show him her prize, but he’s not where she left him. The table they were at is pretty much empty, its occupants scattered around the room. Lyon is dancing with Yukino, Jura is talking at the bar to Wakaba and Lisanna is chatting with Lucy and Mira at another table. 

Juvia goes to look for Gray, politely declining, when Lucy beckons her to join them with a broad smile and a wave. She doesn’t want to talk to them at the moment, because she’s caught the bouquet and she needs to show Gray. This is the sign she’s been waiting for, however intentional the throw. She’s going to show him that this is what he’s been waiting for. 

She’s not concerned when she finds him talking to Erza, there’s nothing sinister about that, despite the unusual sight of it these days, and she simply continues on her way to him. Erza’s back is to her and Gray is focused on the red head in front of him, a small frown on his face as she talks. Juvia doesn’t know what’s being said and she doesn’t care. So she keeps walking forward. Gray glances up quickly, and Juvia makes eye contact with him. Almost immediately, he focuses back on Erza, ignoring Juvia. 

When she asks him about it later, he denies any knowledge of it and puts the bouquet in a vase in the middle of the living room, telling her how wonderful it is that she caught it, with a kiss on the cheek as he does so. He doesn’t look back on it and goes out on a job the next day. For two weeks, Juvia watches as the flowers wilt while Gray is away and Juvia finds that she’s glad when she has to throw them out. 

 

Present Day… 

 

Juvia can see why Cana drinks. She’s new at it, but it’s that same warm feeling that she remembers of her days with Gray, that flows through her as they sit there. The tavern is small and quiet, even though it’s on a well travelled road. The people in it are welcoming and eager as they come in. It’s almost like coming back to a friend’s house after a long time away, there’s some distance, but it’s quickly dissipated as they order drinks. 

Choosing a small table in the corner near the window, Cana seems relaxed and Juvia is enjoying herself for the first time, in longer than she would care to say. She likes this attitude to things. The ability to stop and enjoy herself with no concern as to what her next move should be. The lack of expectation is refreshing. 

It’s nice. She likes this a lot. 

She likes the congenial atmosphere and the jovial nature of those around her. She likes that Cana throws easy smiles and cheeky winks at her. She forgets for a moment, just an instant, that Gray was the focus of her life for such a long time. Cana has that ability, and it’s almost unintentional, she’s simply so consuming when in her presence. She’s a bright star in a dark, grey world. 

Juvia’s not sure she’s ever really looked at Cana before. Sure she’s totally outrageous, but in the best possible way. She’s so confident in herself, in a way that Juvia has never been. Cana talks, drinks and acts like there’s no tomorrow. She’s a force of nature and Juvia can see that echo of Gildarts in her. That immovable object and she has no doubts that the first Master made a good decision in giving her one of the three Great Magics of the guild. 

Cana is so much more than the people around her have ever seen. Sure she drinks, a bit too much, even far too much, but that’s just one side of her. She’s talented and funny and generous and caring. She’s spectacular in every sense of the word. She’s everything that Juvia has never been and Juvia envies her that. 

Juvia’s not oblivious as to why she was brought along on this trip. She knows that the last couple of months have left Cana moping about the weather. Everyone moping about the weather. It’s hard not to notice when people slump around, wet to the core as the rain pours down. She knows that Cana has been miserable with the wet and that this is her attempt to stop that being a constant feature of life at Fairy Hills. 

It shouldn’t be, the sky above Fairy Hills should be blue skies looking down on Magnolia, though that hasn’t been the case for a while. Juvia feels guilty for that, and she winces when she hears the rain outside come down a little harder. Her guilt driving the water from the sky. She wonders if she can get to a point where the sky doesn’t darken in her presence. It had only rained a little on the walk today, so maybe there’s hope. A little bit. 

Juvia remembers how bad it can be. The first few days, after Gray, were the worst. The water that poured from the sky flooded the canals in Magnolia and people were forced to travel by boat rather than risk wading through the muddied waters. Even Natsu had strenuously complained about his fire being put out as soon as he lit it. Mira had slapped him for that. 

Juvia had drowned Magnolia in her grief. 

Drowned Fairy Tail in her grief until she had nothing more left to give. The torrential rains had eased and left a grey sky and a drizzle in its wake. Left everyone she loved cold, wet and miserable. Exactly as she felt. 

Today, even with the rain outside, inside this tavern, with Cana, it seems so far away. Cana doesn’t look like she even remembers. Remembers being so cold and miserable. There’s no resentment or disappointment in her gaze. In fact, the more she drinks, the more she shoots Juvia a few heated looks a couple of times and Juvia blushes and dismisses each of them. Flirty comments are Cana’s way of showing affection and she’s got to almost like them over the years. She might blush, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s warm like everything else around Cana. 

It’s not like she’s the odd one out. Cana flirts with everything, especially if they’re good looking and female. And occasionally male. The fact that Cana’s bisexual isn’t news to anyone, and despite her slightly grabby hands, she’s never made a move on anyone in Fairy Tail, as far as Juvia knows. There’s been a definite boundary that she’d adhered to members of the guild. 

Juvia respects that. 

Though, when Cana’s hand lands on the skin at the top of her thigh, Juvia doesn’t flinch or blush. She simply leans into it and smiles.


	7. Hot 'n' Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cana's trying to keep her hands to herself and her promise to not compromise Juvia's integrity. 
> 
> She's failing harder than she's ever failed before. 
> 
> Juvia doesn't care, in fact, she's pretty sure she doesn't ever want Cana to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Glorious People! 
> 
> Sorry for the delay, unfortunately it's that time of year and well, I've overcommitted myself to, just about everything, so updates will be a little slower than usual.
> 
> Thanks as always for reading, leaving kudos and being yourselves. You're awesome, I can't say that enough.
> 
> Now, we're jumping into slightly smutty territory here and I'm a little terrified by this leap, because I've never really written stuff like this before. It could be terrible and I might have to resign myself to a future of forever writing Mills and Boon romances as a result. 
> 
> I do hope you enjoy it though! Despite my utter embarrassment going back and reading bits of it, I did manage to edit it and I quite like it. So I hope you will too.

Juvia feels instantly cold when Cana removes her hand. The warmth slowly seeping out of body, into the air around her. Even with a quick sip of her drink, she doesn’t feel that same sensation. As if she’d been sitting by the hearth of a fire for several hours. Warm and safe. 

She takes another longer sip, but she can’t recreate that feeling. She’s missing that touch and she’s almost ashamed to admit it. 

She shivers when Cana leans over and whispers in her ear. She can smell the ale on Cana’s breath and she has to stop herself from leaning in closer. 

‘Sorry, Juvie, but that guy over there has been giving you the eye for the last half hour and well, I don’t feel like sharing you today,’ Cana leans in closer, and Juvia closes her eyes. 

‘I promise I’m not actually going to do anything to compromise your honour, even I’ve got more class than that and I promised I wouldn’t do anything you didn’t want. So no compromising,’ she continues. 

‘Juvia wouldn’t mind if you did.’ 

‘Is that right?’ Cana’s voice lowers, and Juvia finds that the warmth is now a raging fire, especially when she feels Cana’s hand sliding up her thigh. 

It’s not like it was before. That heavy pressure, almost bruising, in a suggestion of possession. This time, it’s almost as if it isn’t there at all. It’s almost ticklish and Juvia finds that she’s having to clench her thighs together to stop the shocks that are travelling straight to her core. 

She whines when Cana takes her hand away, and blushes at Cana’s low chuckle. 

‘Mmm, you know, patience is a virtue,’ Cana whispers. 

‘Juvia does not believe that applies.’ 

Cana simply chuckles again, as her hand slides up Juvia’s side. It’s that same feather light touch and Juvia feels as if she could go mad at the thought of it. She’s too hot, far too hot and wishes she wasn’t as warmly dressed as she is now. There’s a trickle of sweat at her brow and it seems to warm as it traces down the side of her face, providing her little relief. 

As Cana’s hand comes up under her breast, Juvia feels like she’ll never be able to breathe again. She swallows heavily and bites her bottom lip. She’s forgotten everything around her, the tavern, the guy over at the table, the drink in front of her. She’s floating on the heavy air around them. It’s like a cloud, and she’s enveloped in the soft, warmth that is Cana. 

Only to come crashing down as Cana gives her breast a harsh squeeze and a small laugh at Juvia’s indignation. 

‘Sorry, but I’m not drunk enough to be anything more than a little lecherous, plus as mentioned, I promised and I’m not about to compromise that. Even if you ask nicely,’ Cana apologises, and then offers, ‘Another drink?’ 

Juvia agrees. There’s a sense of desperation to it. Anything to get rid of the heat that is now consuming her. Juvia wants something to dowse the fire that’s burning in her. A splash of cold water to refresh her. 

She almost misses the cold. 

 

5 years ago…

It’s a warm night in Magnolia. The trees are in bloom, and summer is on the horizon. It’s beginning to get hot enough to encourage lazy days beside the water. 

They’re celebrating. The guild. There’s been a mass promotion of S-Class mages, Gray, Natsu, Lucy and Cana all making the cut. 

There’s a couple of looks that are shot Juvia’s way, as if she’s supposed to be anything other than ecstatic. As if she should hope that she’d make the cut as well. 

Juvia doesn’t care. Gray got the promotion he’s been so desperate for and she’s wonderfully, deliriously, completely and utterly happy. It’s everything that he deserves and she knows now, what she’s always known, that he’s the more powerful mage. 

She feels the flush rise up her cheeks at the thought of him being powerful in every sense of the word. That domination. Force. Possession. 

She fans herself a little at the thought and hopes that no one around her has noticed what she’s sure is a beet red flush on her face. She feels the first drop of water begin to form on her brow. It slowly crawls down her face and Juvia’s surprised that it doesn’t evaporate with the heat that’s emanating from her body. 

When it gets to her lips, she bites them in anticipation but it skirts round, and slides down her throat. The cold water against her blistering skin is welcome relief, and she nearly falls over the balcony railing, when a finger swipes it away, before it can make its way between her breasts. 

‘Are you ok?’ Gray whispers. 

‘Fine,’ Juvia chokes out. 

‘Are you sure?’ he asks again, his voice too close, too low and too hot for Juvia in this moment, ‘You seem a little hot.’ 

He runs a hand along her brow, and frowns at the heat. 

‘Juvia, you’re really hot.’ 

‘Gray-sama…’ 

‘Do you want to leave?’ he asks. 

‘No.’ 

‘Are you sure?’ 

‘Yes.’ 

‘You’re burning up…’ 

‘Juvia knows.’ 

She closes her eyes and hopes that he’ll finally get it through his head. She’s almost convinced that he’s being deliberately obtuse in this moment, because they’re leaning over the balcony overlooking the party below and she’s got a constant image of his fingers digging into her hips as he takes her in the guildhall. The revellers below oblivious to it all. 

The thought of it is enough to make her knees weak and she’s positively drenched at the thought. 

She almost falls over the balcony as feels Gray’s arm come around her waist. He’s blowing small icicles onto her neck. She’s almost lost herself and he’s barely touched her. The inferno that is her skin, versus the blistering cold that is Gray. It’s pure madness. 

He continues to blow against her neck and she wishes that he’d kiss her, rather than being the horrible tease that he’s being now. She wants something wet and sloppy and unbridled, which is never Gray. He’s always in control and totally adept at what he’s doing. 

Which is more than Juvia can say as he pushes her underwear aside and starts stroking her with iced finger tips. The sensation of it is about to make her cry out until he smothers the sound in her throat with a bite to it. It’s hot unlike the cold that is the rest of him, and she whimpers. 

His teeth are still attached to her throat, as he laughs, low and hollow. 

‘Now, we don’t want to disturb the party,’ he speaks into her neck. 

‘Gray-sama…’ 

His fingers draw lazy circles, before lingering softly. Juvia loses her sense of self at the sensation and collapses against the railing, silently. 

When she’s back to her senses again and not seeing stars, Gray’s nowhere to be found. There’s only a cool breeze blowing through the guild, and a small drop of water that’s trailing down her neck. 

 

Present day…

Juvia doesn’t comment on the slow dimming light from outside. It’s too late to head back to Fairy Tail now and she’s not sure she’s ready for it. This outing of Cana’s, it wasn’t ever really a job and Juvia’s well aware of Cana’s intentions. This has been nice. Surprisingly so. It’s something easy and relaxed, and it’s made her feel less devastated. 

Sure, she’s had a few drinks, and Cana’s currently flirting with someone at the bar, but Juvia is engaged by the sight. The sensation of Cana’s hands on her, more of her than she ever might have encouraged, still lingers at the edge of her consciousness and Juvia doesn’t want to forget it so soon. She’s afraid that upon returning to Fairy Tail, her mind will be assaulted with the memories of Gray and she doesn’t want that. She doesn’t want to replace the warmth of Cana with the cold memory of Gray. 

She’s enjoying the novelty of it all. This sensation of freedom that comes from being around Cana. Juvia doesn’t know how to quantify it but it seems like the world around her is a bit lighter. That the humidity that had settled in for the long haul had started to ease. 

Juvia feels refreshed and she knows she owes that to Cana. Someone she never used to pay much attention to. Sure there was the time with Laxus’ futile attempt at taking over the guild. It wasn’t that it was Cana that day. It was that it was Fairy Tail. That was just what you did for your guild mates. And sure, when they’d entered the Grand Magic Games, Juvia had been just as ashamed as everyone else, when Cana had basically fallen her way into winning the magic power contest. She should have known then, that there was more to Cana, when she so easily wielded Fairy Glitter in the stadium. 

In fact, Juvia’s sure she’s never really looked at the other girl. Too many years only noticing Gray, means that she’s discovering a lot of things about her other guild mates that she never realised. 

‘You know, if you keep looking at me like that, I might not be accountable for what I do,’ Cana whispers in her ear. 

Juvia nearly jumps out of her seat. She hadn’t noticed that Cana had moved from the bar and she certainly hadn’t felt her come so close. 

‘Juvia’s sorry,’ she apologised, as she flushed bright red. 

‘Ah, no worries. We’re all friends here and I’m more than happy to be the object of your desire for an evening.’ 

‘Juvia didn’t…’ 

Cana laughs and throws her arm around Juvia, snuggling in close. 

‘There’s nothing to be ashamed about, I mean, if I could drool over myself, I totally would. Have been known to on occasion, but that’s usually the result of too much to drink,’ Cana winks at that, ‘And tonight, I know it might be the booze, but I got to say, I’ve got one hell of a pair of tits.’

She grabs one with her free hand for emphasis and laughs. Juvia laughs too, and it’s not awkward or rusty, it’s an actual, proper, genuine laugh. 

She doesn’t notice Cana beaming at her as she does it. 

Neither of them notice the break in the cloud, and the one bright star that shines down.


	8. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cana wakes up to blue skies and she's never hated the sight of it more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **SPOILERS**  
> There's one little spoiler for the Avatar ERA arc in this chapter, so if you wish to remain unspoiled if you haven't read the manga, you might want to skip over the flashback. 
> 
> Hello! I'm alive and well, but I've had such a busy week. The best week in all fairness!! Which is what happens when two of your friends fly all the way round the world to see you and surprise you with a petticoat at your front door! So I've been busy catching up with them (and crying a little when one had to leave). 
> 
> But I have a finished and just edited chapter. It's a little sad and we're delving back into the melancholy for a while in the story. That's what creates the drama and feeling in a story though and I'm aiming towards more happy moments as we go on. 
> 
> So thank you again to everyone who's been reading and leaving kudos! I do really love you all. 
> 
> Cheers,  
> Bea

Cana doesn’t know what to make of the sky the next morning. It’s actually blue. There’s no rain, no rain clouds, and it’s not grey. It’s actually blue. Blue skies, the thing that she’s been missing for the past couple of months. The thing that was meant to be a perk of cheering Juvia up. 

Cana hates it. 

She positively loathes the sight of it. 

It’s the worst thing she’s ever seen and she’s the worst person in the world. The absolute worst. This means that Juvia isn’t sad enough to inspire the world around her to drizzle. Or pour. Or bucket down. Or any of the other forms of rain she’s been conjuring for the past few months.

This means that she’s feeling better and might be able to start moving on from Gray. Gray Fullbuster, who was, without any exaggeration, her reason for living for years. Feeling better after the life that Juvia was desperate to have, all fell to pieces. 

Cana still hates it. 

She knew better. 

She knew…so, so, much better. 

This here and why is she’s a bad person, because Juvia is happy and it’s for all the wrong reasons. Cana hadn’t meant to get so handsy, hadn’t meant to be so friendly, so flirty. She definitely hadn’t meant to give Juvia the wrong idea about anything. This was after all, simply Cana’s attempt to ensure that she didn’t have to come home in the rain, that Wendy wouldn’t run herself ragged, so that Juvia wasn’t miserable. 

Sure, she cares about Juvia. She definitely doesn’t want Juvia to be sad anymore, but it is no more driven by that, than any of the other reasons. Blue skies mean that she’s succeeded but, it’s in the worst possible way. She doesn’t want to have succeeded in this way. She doesn’t want it to be like this. She doesn’t want to be this person. 

She wants to be a better person than this. She knows she should be a better person than this. Altruism and Cana have known to be quite the pair in the past. 

But she’s not that person, she’s this person. This person, who lacks even a modicum of self control and lacks the ability to reconsider her actions before she does them. Juvia has not long parted ways with the love of her life and Cana knows that no matter how spectacular she might be in bed, she’s not the way to get over Gray. 

Running a hand through her hair, she knows she doesn’t want to be either. 

She doesn’t want to be that to Juvia. It’s too easy and while there’s always been flirtation with the girls at Fairy Tail, Cana’s never acted on it. Fairy Tail is her family, and she can’t have it be messed up because of something that she’s done. She’d rather die than do something that might hurt the guild. 

So while Juvia is still asleep, Cana quietly tiptoes around the room. The alcohol from last night ensures that Juvia is sleeping soundly, but Cana is cautious anyway. She’s being a coward. A real coward and Juvia deserves better than this, but Cana’s screwed up enough for one outing. She can’t risk doing any more harm. 

She chances another look at Juvia sleeping, her hands tucked under her head, and her blue hair splayed across her face. Cana risks coming closer to brush it out of the way, and nearly cries when Juvia snorts a little. As it is, there’s a small tear that pricks at the corner of her eye, Cana wipes it away quickly and turns away. 

Grabbing her bag, Cana doesn’t look back as she heads to Fairy Tail. 

 

2 years ago… 

 

Juvia wakes up to a cold bed. 

The window is open, there’s the first flurry of snow coming in and she looks at the small silvery flakes as they blow in the window. The sun is about to rise and she pulls the quilt up to warm her up a little, reaching over to grab for Gray. 

Only to be met with empty bed. 

Juvia rolls over but there’s no sign of Gray, and that’s why the bed is cold. Any residual warmth he might have left is long gone and she frowns, trying not to let the rising fear consume her. 

It hasn’t been that long since Avatar ERA and with it, the idea of Gray walking out one day and never coming back. For Natsu, Lucy and Wendy to turn up at her door instead. The torrential rain that engulfed their old home. For the lack of apologies and concern on Gray’s part, because there was someone that needed taking down. Because Erza asked. There was no need for any other justification. 

Juvia didn’t need anything else. She didn’t need any apologies. Except that she did. She needed to know that Gray would be concerned that about leaving her behind, like she would be with him. She needed to know that he trusted her enough to share Erza’s secret with Juvia. Except that’s not Gray. He doesn’t share any secrets, even his own. 

Now, after the years they’ve been together, that doubt it bubbling up to the surface again and she’s worried that Gray won’t walk through the door for another six months. That he’ll be gone this time for good. 

Except, he’s not done that. Not in the years they’ve been together. He always comes home and lets her know when he’s not. He’s always around when she needs him and he apologises every time that he can’t be there. He worries, about both of them. 

Except this morning there’s none of that and he’s just gone. 

So that doubt, that doubt is creeping back in. Juvia grabs her gown and gets dressed intending to head out and look for him. She gets all the way to the door and hesitates. Her hand hovering above the handle on the door. Not touching it. 

He’s only been gone a few hours at most. She’s being ridiculous. He’s fine. He’s strong and capable, and he’s Gray. Her Gray. Nothing bad has happened to him and he’ll come home. 

Still she can’t quite bring herself to pull her hand away from the door. Grabbing gloves and a hat, she decides to head out. The snow is beautiful and she feels like a walk to calm the voices in her head. So she heads out into Magnolia.

She decides to go shopping, buy some ingredients to make Gray some dinner when he comes home again. Something warm and homely. A stew or curry perhaps. Something that takes a long time to cook and something that will be nice for Gray to come home to. Something that will leave a lingering smell across their home. 

So she collects ingredients to make a curry and heads back. She diligently chops up the vegetables and meat, browning them before adding them to the large pot on the stove. Juvia feels a sense of victory each time there’s a small splash into the pot. As the pieces either sink or rise to the top. She’s so caught up in it, that the pot nearly boils over while she’s determinedly not thinking about where Gray is. 

When he’s coming home. 

If he’s coming home. 

No, he’s coming home. Still she’s worked hard to train that instinct out of her because she can’t keep looking for him every time he’s away from her side. She wants to, but Gray insisted that it did neither of them any good. He’d been distant last time she’d done it. Juvia knew that part of it was annoyance but her worry trumped his annoyance. That’s what she keeps telling him, but he refuses to budge on this issue. 

That worry is starting to creep in as the sun set over Magnolia. The darkness lengthened the shadows and Juvia starts to panic. She knows that Gray is coming home, but it’s there. The darkness is sinister and there are images of Gray lying injured that flash past her mind. 

Worse though, is that look of disappointment when Juvia turns up and Gray doesn’t need saving. Those looks, Juvia doesn’t like. The ones where she could swear that for a moment, that Gray’s ashamed of her. 

Juvia knows that a lot of it is paranoia on her part, but there’s a lingering doubt in her mind that it could be true. That one wrong move on her part and Gray will be ashamed to be near her. That it won’t matter how much he loves her, because he can’t bear to be around her. 

So she watches the stew bubble away. 

She falls asleep at the table watching it. 

A light kiss on her head, and the sound of a bowl being put in front of her, wakes her from her rest. Gray’s standing there, perfectly fine, handing her a bowl of the stew that she was making. 

‘Hungry?’ he asks. 

Juvia nods. 

They sit down and eat together. It’s silent and Juvia is itching to ask where he’s been. Their bowls are soon empty and she plucks up the courage to question his absence. 

Gray sits back, seemingly surprised at the question. 

‘I was on a job.’ 

‘You didn’t leave Juvia a note,’ she knows the accusation is there. 

‘It was time sensitive, I didn’t have time and I didn’t want to wake you,’ there’s an edge that’s creeping into his voice now. 

‘Juvia wouldn’t have minded. Juvia was worried…’ Juvia can’t bring herself to finish the sentence. 

For a moment, she swears that she sees that flash of disappointment, of shame, run across Gray’s face, but she’s sure she imagined it. Now, all that’s there is a look of contrition. 

‘I’m sorry, next time, I’ll be sure to leave a note,’ he stands, taking the bowls from in front of them and placing them in the sink. 

‘I promise,’ he says, coming back and placing a kiss to the top of her head. 

It’s only in the early hours of the morning, when she’s lying there watching him sleep, that she realises that he never told her where he was. Now, with Gray beside her, she suddenly feels very alone. 

 

Present day…

 

Juvia wakes up slowly. The alcohol from the night before still being processed through her body, and sleep pulls her back to its warm embrace. So she dozes, never noticing the sun rise higher in the sky. Until it’s risen high enough to splash golden across her face. The warmth is pleasant, but soon the tingle of it is too much and she forces her eyes open. 

Blinking a couple of times, Juvia looks out the window. 

It takes her a second to realise what she’s seeing but when it registers, the smile across her face is brighter than it has been in months. 

There’s the sun. The sun that hasn’t shone in Juvia’s presence since the end of her relationship with Gray. Having lived her life perpetually in the shadow of rain clouds, she never takes the sight of the sun for granted. 

Part of her grief of losing Gray was compounded, in that she lost the sun with him. The person, who had brought that light into her life, was the person with whom it disappeared. She didn’t know if she could have an existence with only one, but this might be proof that she can. 

Juvia can perhaps, have blue skies, without Gray. 

That’s not quite true, she owes these blue skies to Cana. Cana, who has gone out of her way to ensure that Juvia might feel a bit better. Cana, who has been a good friend. Cana, who has been a little more than a good friend. Juvia cannot thank the other girl enough. 

She’s even imagining a future without Gray, and suddenly it’s not as abysmal as Juvia always worried it would be. That she would go back to her old life, shunned and mocked by those around her. Abandoned because no one else wanted to be around someone, whose only talent, was to make it rain. 

Cana hasn’t been concerned about that. Sure, she’s been grumpy with the rain, but she’s never blamed Juvia for it. She’s always been kind and understanding. Concerned for Juvia, rather than angry about Juvia’s actions. Cana is a treasure that Juvia wishes she’d noticed earlier. 

Juvia likes the warmth that seems to emanate from Cana’s person. That sense of safety and warmth. The memory it is strong and Juvia suddenly regrets that nothing more happened. This morning she wishes she had woken up in Cana’s arms. To feel warm and safe. 

Juvia smiles a small smile. 

The sun is shining down and, for the first time in years, Juvia’s imagining waking up with someone, who isn’t Gray. 

Turning over, preparing herself for the best way to wake Cana up, a small call, a nudge, perhaps even a small kiss, she notices the empty bed. Blinking a couple of times doesn’t change that. Cana’s bed is still empty. 

Sitting up abruptly, Juvia feels that sinking sensation in her stomach again. That same sense that she battled so often, before Gray, with Gray and after Gray. That sense of being alone. 

Cana isn’t here. 

It comes as no shock as the rain clouds come thundering in as Juvia packs up her stuff, she prepares for what will now be, a long walk back to Fair Tail. 

Alone.


	9. Loneliness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cana is ignoring Juvia and Juvia's determined to change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO 
> 
> Look! I'm not dead, though I am so very sorry for such a long wait between chapters, I'm literally the worst! 
> 
> To say it's all been busy would be an understatement, I've had so many things to do before Christmas; people to see, parties to go to, presents to buy and just everything. 
> 
> It's not much of an excuse and this did get sidelined for a time while I wrote my Yuletide fic for the year. 
> 
> Anyway, it's angst time again and I'm feeling a little anxious about this chapter because I think that it deserved more time and attention than it's got, but I don't want to leave it any longer to post.
> 
> So again, apologies! 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's read and left kudos! It's always very much appreciated and I hope this is a suitable offering.

Cana, being the coward that she is, studiously avoids Juvia for a week after the trip to Weissel. She ducks out of the hall whenever Juvia enters and she’s nowhere to be found at Fairy Hills, anytime Juvia comes looking. 

Cana’s also doing her best to hurriedly ruin her liver further by drinking more than even she usually does on a bad day. There’s empty barrels surrounding the guild, the dorms and her room and she doesn’t care. She’s upset and she’s going to fix it the only way she knows how. She’s going to drink herself to oblivion. 

Then as soon as she thinks that it might be a bad idea, she’s going to drink some more because thinking is what got her into this mess and the pleasant numbness and happiness that the alcohol brings her is a good cure all. 

It’s not quite enough though and she’s tempted to ring Bacchus for another drinking contest so that she won’t remember anything for a while. Or if that doesn’t happen, he’s been a decent distraction in the past, though he’s not as stellar as he thinks he is. Too much alcohol means his performances are false starts half the time. Every now and again though, he gets it just right and Cana has a mind-blowing night with the man. 

She hates herself. Truly hates herself at being this person. She shouldn’t have led Juvia on, shouldn’t have offered to take her on the job and certainly shouldn’t have felt her up in the middle of a tavern. Even if there was the soft, cool sensation of Juvia’s dress. Cana’s not sure what it’s made of, but she’d run her hand up and down it every chance she got. 

If she ever got the chance again. 

Or the chance to touch her skin. The slightly cool, exceptionally soft skin that lies on the top of Juvia’s thighs. Cana thinks of running her hand gently up them again and takes another long swig of the drink in front of her. 

She’s pathetic. 

She can’t do this. She knows better. She knows better. 

She is better. 

Except that apparently she isn’t. She’s just Fairy Tail’s drunken lout, who’s a little to handsy when she gets going. Cana winces at the indignation several of the girls in Fairy Tail have expressed when she got a little too familiar, Lucy particularly. Some like Erza never seemed to mind, but Erza’s just like that. 

Lucy though, goddamnit, Cana knows she shouldn’t and she’s never kept her hands to herself even when she should. Every indignant cry from Lucy echoes in her ears and she winces at the sound.

Still Juvia is by far the worst thing she’s done. She knows that Juvia wants more from her. Wants to move forward with whatever this thing between them might be. But Cana can’t do that. It’s too soon. Too soon and she’s a screw up and horrible person for leading Juvia on. 

Still there’s a flagon in her hands and maybe, just maybe, she can forget that she was ever this person for a moment. 

So she puts it up to her lips and takes a strong swig. 

And prays for oblivion. 

 

3 months ago… 

 

Gray comes home less and less. 

Days go by and he takes more and more jobs, as if he’s desperate not to walk in the front door. Each time he does, there’s a weary resignation on his face and he seems as if he bears the weight of the world on shoulders with every entrance. 

Juvia notices. She knows that he’s not happy. 

So she tries. 

She tries really hard. 

She makes sure that when he does eventually come home, that the house is spotless. That no matter when he walks in the door that there’s food at hand. She tells him how much she loves him. She asks for nothing, simply prepared to give everything. 

She doesn’t mind the lack of conversation. Juvia would rather silence than harsh words and there are none of those to be had here. Gray doesn’t say anything to her, so there’s no words that she can shy away from. 

She doesn’t mind the time spent apart. Juvia has had a lifetime alone. Before Fairy Tail her life was spent in her own company. It’s lonelier this time, however, so she ends up spending more time at the guild. She talks to the people around her, and for a while, so can forget the loneliness that is starting to eat away at her again. 

She doesn’t mind the lack of sex. Sex for them was never the greatness intimacy. It helped, but the words spoken, and small actions taken mean so much more. She misses his touch, that he now doesn’t sleep with her lying on his chest, listening to his heartbeat at night, his arm around her. Occasionally he’ll reach over once he’s asleep and pull her close, but he’s never there when she wakes up and he never offers it in the waking hours. 

Juvia misses the intimacy of their time together. She feels lonelier with Gray now, than she ever does without him. There’s a break between them. Still she tries. 

Gray’s troubled and she’s going to be there for him. The loss of Silver weighs heavily on him and he still doesn’t have Natsu or Lucy to talk to. Erza and he seem to have found common ground but Juvia doesn’t know whether it’s the same as it was. He talks to Erza and Juvia knows that she only feels a pang of jealously at that. Too much to see whether it’s doing him any good. 

It’s good if it does. Juvia keeps trying but nothing she does seems to quiet the voices in Gray’s head. She tries to reason that it won’t matter who’s there for him as long as someone is. That isn’t true though. 

The jobs become longer. Gray becomes quieter. 

The distance between them becomes as vast as the sea between Ishgal and Alvarez. Only Juvia has no way of bridging this gap. Each time she reaches out, Gray pulls back into himself and she doesn't know what to do. 

She’s become used to being the person that Gray turns to. She’s liked the monopoly she’s held for all these years and the fear of losing it is creeping up on her. 

So she tries. 

 

Present day…

 

Juvia is surprised how lonely she feels after Weissel. 

For being alone all of her life, she’s surprised at how easily Cana made a place within Juvia’s existence. It was if there was always a Cana shaped hole that needed to be filled. That the boisterous and jubilant nature that Cana exudes was designed to fill the emptiness in Juvia’s life. 

Ever since that night in the bar on the way back to Fairy Tail, Cana’s very deliberately avoided Juvia, and Juvia’s not sure what she did wrong. She’d been so grateful to Cana for trying to cheer her up. No, succeeding, in cheering her up, she doesn’t know why Cana’s pulled away. Juvia doesn’t know what changed.

Juvia runs through that night and can’t see what the issue might have been. They were having fun together. So much fun together. There were drinks and laughter and Cana’s hands on her thigh, her sides, her breast… 

Juvia misses Cana’s touch. She misses that security and gentleness that came with Cana. It’s unlike anything she’d felt before. It makes her feel confident. Cared for. Even a little bit sexy, in a way that she’s never experienced before now. 

She wants to repay Cana for that. Repay her for everything that she’s done for Juvia in recent times because it’s meant more than Juvia can ever put into words. She wants Cana back in her life. She wants everything that Cana brought with her, but most of all, she just wants Cana. That’s the fact of it. Juvia wants Cana. 

Juvia thinks back to Erza’s advice, all that time ago, to celebrate the occasion if it meant something special to you. That anniversary with Gray, the one only Juvia had noticed. Sure it hadn’t played out how either of them had expected, but Juvia was touched to realise that Gray had kept that scarf after all. That small gesture had been the first thing that had really been something of theirs, and Juvia wants to have the same thing with Cana. 

She wants to have something that’s just hers and Cana’s. 

Juvia looks at the small picture she’s put on her mirror in her room. A shot of her and Cana from one of Fairy Tail’s parties some years ago. They’re younger and more carefree and they’ve got their arms wrapped around each other. 

In Cana’s absence that picture is filling the ache that Juvia has inside. It’s a poor substitute for the real thing, but she feels better with it there. A reminder or maybe a promise, of what was or what could be. 

Hope. 

It represents hope. Juvia’s wish. 

Looking at the picture, she decides she’ll make Cana a thank you gift. Something small and special. Something just for the two of them. Something they can share. 

Something that will bring Cana back to Juvia. 

She looks at the picture and notices the small gold chain that Cana’s wrapped around her wrist. It’s smaller and more delicate than Juvia would have expected for Cana, but in the same instance, it’s exactly what Cana would wear. She’s never seen it on her again, so maybe it’s something special, something to be brought out on a special occasion. 

Maybe she’s lost it. 

That must be it, because Cana would definitely wear something that precious if she still had it. So Juvia knows then and there exactly what she’s going to get Cana. 

Three days later, it’s ready and it’s in a small blue box. Juvia chose a blue that matches the old blue top that Cana used to wear. It’s almost teal and, it’s vibrant, like Cana. The small gold chain is nestled inside and Juvia knows it’s perfect. 

Holding it close, she strides over to Cana’s room. Knocking on the door, there’s a bright smile on her face. This is it. This will fix everything. 

Juvia knocks again, there’s a loud thump and Cana swings the door open with more force than necessary. She’s dishevelled and there’s make-up smudged on her face and Juvia can’t stop staring. 

‘Was there something you wanted?’ Cana’s tone is sharp and short. 

Quickly shaking her head, Juvia smiles and holds out the box.

‘Juvia just wanted to say thank you,’ she says, pressing the box into Cana’s hands. 

There’s a flash of disappointment across Cana’s face as she gets it and before Juvia can say anything the door closes in her face again. 

Juvia isn’t quite sure what to do. It’s Gray all over again and she’s hurt. 

She wipes a couple of tears away as she leaves the room, ignoring the voices that are coming from Cana’s room. 

‘Who was that?’ a male voice asks. 

‘No one,’ Cana replies.


	10. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray's ruined everything. 
> 
> He knows that, but maybe he can help with one thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS (or whichever chosen holiday you celebrate at this time of year) 
> 
> I hope everyone has a fantastic day and gets all the presents from Santa! 
> 
> Consider this my small offering for the holidays, it's a little out of the normal narrative, but it still ties in with the story and I wanted something a little more heartwarming and away from the angst of the last couple of chapters. 
> 
> I also wanted to give you all something for being so patient with me while I've been so inconsistent with posting. 
> 
> Thank you all who've been reading and leaving kudos, you're all wonderful people, and I do hope you enjoy this small interlude. 
> 
> Have a wonderful day today, eat too much, open lots of presents and generally be happy and awesome, surrounded by the people you love! 
> 
> Bea xx

Gray’s been very seriously, avoiding Fairy Tail as much as possible since his split from Juvia. It’s hard on him, but he knows, he knows, that it’s that much harder on her and he doesn’t want to be around as a constant reminder of what a bastard he’s been. 

Sure, there’s a level of self-preservation there. He doesn’t want to feel the guilt that constantly follows him around, a memory of his time with Juvia. Of all the mistakes he made. 

Everyone assumes so many things about the two of them. That getting together with Juvia was easy for him, that there were other things going on, that this thing with Natsu, Erza and Lucy skewed his view, that he never really cared for her. He knows that his family think all of those things and they’re not wrong. Not really. There’s an element of truth to all of it. He knows that. He’s not totally oblivious to his own motivations in all of this. 

They always miss the biggest motivation of all. That he really did love her. It wasn’t in the way she wanted, wasn’t enough to commit to her or to settle down permanently or to make her the most important thing in his existence. But he did love her. Or at least, he tried his very hardest to, because he knew how much she loved him. 

It wasn’t enough and he knows, knows exactly how much of a bastard he is for not putting an end to this years ago. To save both of them the heart ache.

To save Juvia all those moments of assuming that her happy ending had finally arrived, because it hadn’t. Not with Gray. Never with Gray. 

That’s just the truth of them. They weren’t each other’s happy ending. They were a fleeting moment of happiness. It was genuine and it meant more to both of them than he thinks either of them realise but not the ending. There was never going to be any wedding bells, no children, no growing old together because that’s never who they were destined to be. Gray and Juvia were meant to be friends. Family. But never soulmates. It didn’t matter how much either of them might have wanted it, it wasn’t going to come to pass. They wanted different things, too different things. Irreconcilable differences. That’s just who they were to each other.

Now, Gray’s back in Fairy Tail for the first time in weeks and weeks, and there’s Juvia, sitting forlorn at the bar. 

He was nervous, seeing the grey skies above Magnolia, the ones that darkened above Fairy Tail, but the evidence of it, the sight of her now, is almost too much to bear and it takes all of his strength not to walk out the door again. So he takes a deep breath, goes over to sit with Elfman and Wakaba and chat for a minute. 

They sit and chat, but Gray can’t stop looking at Juvia and each time he does, a bit more of his heart breaks. 

It must be obvious because there’s a look that Elfman and Wakaba share, and before he knows it, the two of them have buggered off. Instead, Mira’s sitting across from him and he knows it’s serious. It’s always serious with Mira. Mira might mother all of them, but she never gets involved unless she has to. Unless she thinks there’s something that desperately needs her hand to fix. 

So he asks. 

‘Has she been like this all the time?’ he doesn’t need to say whom. 

‘In Magnolia, yes,’ Mira replies. 

He looks at her, puzzled. 

‘In Magnolia?’ 

Mira nods. 

‘She took a job with Cana nearly two weeks ago. I have it on good authority that there were blue skies over Juvia’s head during that time.’ 

‘But not now?’ Gray asks. 

‘No,’ Mira says. 

Mira’s looking at him and Gray knows, knows, there’s something that she’s hoping she won’t have to say. Some bit of information, she’s hoping he’ll be smart enough to pick up on. For a moment, he firmly believes that she’s put too much faith in him. 

Then he realises.

And it hurts. 

Hurts more than he ever thought it would, because this is his fault. All of this and he has no right, none whatsoever to feel hurt. Still, it pulls at his heart a little. 

Mira reaches over and takes his hand, and if he wasn’t already sure that she wasn’t an empath, that move might have done it. She smiles that smile of hers, looks at him with that look of her and it makes him feel a little better inside. 

‘Go talk to her.’ 

Gray doesn’t ever ask. He simply leans over, Mira’s hand still in his and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek and whispers, ‘Thank you,’ 

Mira smiles. 

 

*************************************************

 

Gray’s standing outside of Fairy Hills and he’s losing his nerve, fast. Mira’s encouragement seems so far away and he’s wondering what right he has to be here. 

None really. He’s not allowed in the girls’ dorm. Not really. Still, he’ll gladly accept whatever punishment might be brought his way, because this is his chance to make a difference. To make one small thing better, in all the things he’s destroyed in the past few years. 

Taking a deep breath, and hoping like hell the security hasn’t been upgraded so he’ll be sent flying as soon as he tries to enter, he opens the door to Fairy Hills. Opening his eyes gingerly, slowly realising that he hasn’t been sent flying, he lets go of the breath he’s been holding. 

Only to have that panic well up inside of him again. 

He shouldn’t be here. Why on earth did Mira think his input would make this better? Surely past experience would prove that Gray does nothing but screw these things up. That’s why there’s a constant grey sky over Magnolia. Because Gray Fullbuster is a bastard. 

It should be his thing.

Sighing, he realises that this isn’t helping things and that he does want to help. He wants to try and make this a little better, because he’s ruined everything. This won’t fix that, but it might ease a little bit of the suffering he’s caused, and perhaps that’s all he might be allowed to do in this situation, because he doesn’t deserve the right to make everything better. Not when he broke it. 

Someone else needs to fix his mistake, and no matter how much he might be hurt at the thought, it’s the very least that he can do. Is do this one thing and leave the rest of it alone. 

So making his way to the room in question, he summons every bit of courage he has and knocks on the door. 

It takes a few moments, but when it opens, he simply says: 

‘May I come in?’ 

 

**********************************************

 

This is awkward. 

More awkward than he thought it was going to be, because he should be speaking but he’s unable to find the right words and his companion isn’t helping. In fact, his companion’s staring at him like they can’t quite believe he’s in their room. 

Gray can’t blame them, he can’t believe he’s here either. 

So they sit. 

And stare. 

Sit. 

Stare. 

There’s a tongue. His tongue. It works. It forms words. It speaks. But here and now, he feels like there’s this leaden weight in his mouth and he’s never felt so self conscious. 

Why did Mira send him? He’s the worst person in the world to send. He shouldn’t be here. He doesn’t deserve to be here. He’s only going to make it all that much worse. 

Running a hand through his hair, he’s trying to think of what he’s supposed to say. What it was that he was sent here to do. He growls in frustration. 

Cana laughs. 

Gray laughs. 

They laugh.

Then suddenly, neither of them are laughing and Cana is looking at him. He doesn’t like the look but he’s not about to complain. He’s intruding and Cana has every right to look at him like that. 

She leans back against the wall behind her bed and sighs. 

‘Why are you here Gray?’ 

He decides honesty is his best policy. 

‘Mira.’ 

Cana nods. 

Gray keeps talking. 

‘I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be anywhere near this, because this is all my fault and I am well aware of that, but I’m here and I don’t know what I’m supposed to say.’ 

Cana nods. 

Gray is still talking. 

‘I think, what I want to say, is that maybe you’re being too hasty. I know Juvia, I know she gets too intense, too fast. I know everything about being on the other end of that and I know exactly what you’re going through right now.’ 

Cana snorts at that. 

Gray retracts. 

‘Not everything, sure. But I get it.’ 

Cana stares at him and he goes to talk again but she doesn’t let him.

‘You don’t. Because this isn’t Juvia. This is me.’ 

He looks at her. 

Cana keeps talking. 

‘I screwed up. Not Juvia. I’m the one who pushed too hard. Got too familiar,’ Cana sighs, ‘I’m the bastard.’ 

Gray sits back, shocked. That wasn’t at all what he was expecting. He’s flirted enough with Cana over the years to consider her mostly harmless, but he’s also never been at the receiving end of it when he’s going through a devastating break up and maybe that’s the difference. 

He looks at Cana and she looks wrecked. Totally, utterly…wrecked. 

And he feels sorry for her. 

He feels sorry for Juvia too, because she’s the one getting screwed over in all of this. Screwed over by their insecurities and hesitations. 

He can’t let that happen again. 

So he speaks. 

‘Cana, I can’t say that when Mira told me, I wasn’t a little hurt. More than a little, in a way I have no right to be. But I think the issue for both of us, is that we’re deciding what’s best for Juvia. What we think she deserves in all of this, and maybe, we should let her decide,’ he says, ‘That’s what I should have done. I should have let her decide whether she wanted me, knowing the truth.’ 

Cana looks at him, curiously. 

He explains. 

‘If she knew that I’d never love her in the way she wanted. If she knew that going in, would she have still made the same decision, because with us, it got to the stage where I wanted to believe it too. That I wanted to love her in the way she wanted, because it was such a strong emotion for her, I believed it would be for me. I believed in her fairy tale and that was the mistake.

‘I needed to be honest with her, much earlier on. I needed to give her the choice in it all because all I ended up doing was hurting her, and I never wanted to do that. Not really. I know I did everything wrong, but the truth is, I did love Juvia, but I didn’t love her enough. Not in the way I should have and I should have told her. So if there’s a possibility of something there, even if it’s too soon or too fast, maybe you should be honest about it. Give her the choice.’ 

Cana is silent and Gray wonders if he’s overstepped his bounds in all of this. If he’s telling someone what to do again. He’s really not good at this. He sighs. 

‘Thank you.’ 

Gray looks up at Cana, who’s looking at him. With an expression he’s not sure he’s ever seen on her, but he thinks she suits it. 

‘No worries.’ 

‘No…thank you,’ Cana says, coming over and giving him a hug, which Gray, gratefully returns. 

Gray turns to leave, but before he heads out of the door, he stops and turns back to Cana. 

‘I know I shouldn’t be saying this, but if you hurt her…’ he doesn’t finish the sentence. 

‘I know,’ Cana says. 

‘Good. After all, I expect better of you.’ 

‘Me too.’


	11. Grey Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cana tries to fix things with Juvia. 
> 
> Juvia reflects on the start of grey skies over Magnolia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO 
> 
> I'm not dead, though I have been without internet for nearly a week, so that's pretty much the same thing. I did get to spend it in the middle of nowhere having a fantastic holiday and I have been writing, so hopefully the next few chapters will be a bit quicker coming along. 
> 
> Now, there's no real spoilers in this chapter but it is going to be a bit sad. So I recommend a warm drink and some tissues at your side before you read it. 
> 
> As always, thanks to everyone who's been reading and leaving kudos, you're all awesome!

Cana mulls over Gray’s words for a couple of days. Her absence from the guild and society in general is a foregone conclusion at the moment and she knows that she has to get this right. She has to get this right because, this is her shot. 

One shot. 

She knows she’s hurt Juvia, in possibly, a way much worse than Gray ever did, because she’s hurt her knowing she was already hurt. She tried to cheer her up, but turned away from her the first mistake that she made. That Cana made, because that’s what she does, makes mistakes. This time she wasn’t even willing to give Juvia the chance to make the decision for herself. If Cana for all her mistakes was worth the risk. 

Gray was right. 

Gray is surprisingly and often, annoyingly, right. 

Cana and Gray are more similar than they originally appear. They make decisions for the people around them. Decide their fate without regard for the other person. Not that their selfish, or mean, not really, they’ve just built a guard around themselves. A guard which pits their own protection against the possibility that they’ll hurt someone else. 

Cana wants to believe neither of them are bad people, but Juvia’s broken expression has been playing on repeat in her consciousness for days and Cana feels guilty. So guilty and now she’s got to make the decision. 

Can she let Juvia decide in all of this? Can she relinquish control of the situation? Can she be a better person than she currently is in all this? 

That’s the decision she has to make, because she’s never really been that person. Cana decides her interaction with people all the time, and it’s usually to keep them at arm’s length. That little bit further away so she’ll never be hurt. 

She laughs, drinks and works with her family, but she doesn’t ever show weakness around them, if she can avoid it. The Tenrou Island blubber-fest with Lucy notwithstanding. Cana even pushed Gildarts away once he knew he was her father, because it was all too much and she realised that it wasn’t what she wanted. 

Cana doesn’t need or want or deserve such an attentive father when he’s in Fairy Tail, because he leaves again and that hurts. That hurts more than not having him around at all. Cana’s used to not having a father and she needs to maintain that distance because she can’t have her heart break every time he leaves, because Gildarts only ever leaves. 

Her flirting is another manifestation of this. If she flirts with everyone, rather than making any meaningful connection, than she can be there. Be a part of it all, without having to commit herself too much to it. Physical intimacy is a lot easier for Cana, than the emotional. 

She’s a horrible person. 

That’s what she’s discovered in all of this, because she knows that she’s surrounded by people who love her. Whom she loves. But she’ll never be the person who truly admits that. She’ll put them in their box in her mind and love them, but never tell them. She’ll protect them, die for them and never reach out to any of them. 

Not knowingly. Not intentionally. 

Still, if there’s a possibility of something more with Juvia, doesn’t she owe it to her to try. To give it chance. The worst that can happen at the end of it, is that Cana will hurt Juvia, and she’s already done that to spectacular effect. 

Cana ignores her own terror. 

 

*********************************************************

 

Juvia decided days ago that locking herself away wasn’t going to work this time. That the devastation after Gray hadn’t been alleviated by minimising human contact, so she’s not going to do it this time. 

She’s considering this to be the wrong move when Mira keeps shooting her these looks. Those Mira looks which suggest that she knows exactly what Juvia’s thinking. What happened in Weissel and that tavern. Those moments that no one except Cana and Juvia were there to experience. 

Mira knows all of them. 

Juvia knows that. 

She tries very hard not to resent the other girl for that, but it’s hard and she doesn’t like feeling so exposed. Especially when Mira’s been nothing but lovely this whole time. Mira’s been perfect, never says too much, offers too much or does too much. She’s exactly the person that Juvia needs at this time, and Juvia hates her for it. 

Juvia has never been that person for anyone. She’s always been too much, too fast, too Juvia. People around her seem to shrink away from her and she’s left with a great, big, open space around her. A lonely space. 

With Juvia. 

And the rain. 

So when the stool next to her becomes occupied, Juvia ignores it for as long as possible. When she realises who’s sitting next to her, she ignores it longer. 

Juvia doesn’t want to see Cana. Juvia’s lonely and Cana being here reminds her of Gray. Of that all encompassing loneliness when he was with her, and when he wasn’t with her. Of all that heartbreak that she’s endured recently. 

Of those looks of disappointment. Cana and Gray have perfected them. That the idea of Juvia’s affection is embarrassing for both of them. Juvia doesn’t want to feel that way again. 

She doesn’t want to take that chance again, because she always does this. She’s too much for the people around her, drowns them in her own emotions, so that they struggle to breathe. Juvia is the destructive force in her own relationships. 

Juvia doesn’t want to be that person again, so she gets up to leave. She pauses with Cana’s hand on her arm. 

‘Please don’t,’ Cana begs. 

‘Juvia was just leaving.’ 

Cana seems to struggle with her next words. 

‘Please…don’t,’ she begs again. 

Juvia acquiesces and sits down again. Though she’s uncomfortable next to Cana and now, rather than feeling safe and warm, she feels like she’s standing in the middle of a desert, sweltering away. Little bits of her soul being melted away by the heat that’s consuming her. It’s too intimate and Juvia doesn’t want to be her. 

‘Can we talk?’ Cana asks. 

‘Aren’t we already?’ Juvia says. 

The answer seems to surprise Cana and Juvia wonders why. 

‘Not here, somewhere where we can be alone,’ Cana clarifies. 

Juvia wants to say no. She doesn’t want to be alone with Cana. Doesn’t want to be somewhere where they can be alone. 

‘Okay,’ Juvia says, and wonders at the words that come out of her own mouth. 

Following Cana away from the main hall, they find themselves in the library. Alone. 

Cana seems nervous, more nervous than Juvia has ever seen her and for a minute Juvia wonders about the other girl. The thoughts running through her head. 

Juvia feels guilty. For no other reason than that’s who she is. Juvia feels guilty. 

Not enough to be the one that speaks. She doesn’t want to be here. Doesn’t want to be the person who makes this right, no matter what Juvia might feel. 

It’s longer than she wants to be there before Cana speaks again. 

‘Juvia, I’m sorry.’ 

Juvia knows that. Juvia also doesn’t want to hear it because everyone’s been sorry, and she’d hoped that Cana would be the first person to do something than apologise. 

‘I’m really sorry.’ 

Juvia tries desperately of a way to get her out of this situation. It’s too hard and she’s too tired of this. Of all of this. 

‘The truth is I like, I really like you. More than I should and more than I should given everything with Gray is so fresh in your mind,’ Cana pauses, ‘But I don’t want to be the person…the person that makes these decisions for you. I know I’ve hurt you and I know that I’ve no right to ask for anything from you, but I would like the chance to see if there’s something there. Some possibility of something more.’ 

Cana smiles tentatively at Juvia. 

The word that comes out of Juvia’s mouth is almost automatic. 

‘No.’ 

Juvia walks away, trying not to look at Cana’s devastated face. 

 

 

82 days ago…

 

Juvia is nervous. 

And excited. 

But more nervous than anything. 

She’s made a decision and she’s now scared about this decision. This could be the start of something wonderful. Of the end of her perfect fairy tale. This could be her happy ending. 

She’s even the one making it happen. 

And she’s excited. 

So excited. 

She’s ignoring the small voice of disappointment at the back of her mind that keeps whispering that Gray should be the one doing this. It doesn’t have to be Gray. In fact, maybe it’s much better that it isn’t, because she’s being the architect of her own destiny. She gets to write their ending. 

She’s excited again. 

She imagines next month in Kardia Cathedral. She’ll be standing out in front, sun beaming down on her, making the bodice of her dress sparkle in the light. It’ll be dim compared to the smiles on her face and Gray’s. 

He’ll look at her in the way he’s always supposed to. That complete and utter adoration that sneaks onto his face every now and again. That gentle, caring look that flashes across his eyes when it’s just the two of them. The one reflected in his smile, every morning when he’s half asleep and she wakes him up with a gentle kiss. 

The look that she hasn’t seen for weeks on end. The look that’s been replaced by the complete and utter exhaustion over his features. The looks of disappointment every time Juvia tries to alleviate them. As if he knows that nothing she does can remove it. 

He’s underestimated her. 

This now. This is going to fix everything. Give the two of them a renewed sense of purpose together. A chance for a new happily ever after. 

Juvia’s going to propose and it’s going to be perfect.

She’ll have Mira, Levy and Lisanna as bridesmaids. She’ll dress them in pale blue, the colour of the blue sky over Magnolia. With lots of frills. And sparkles. And everything else she can think of to make sure all eyes are on her. 

They will be. Everything will be centred around her. Shades of blue, everywhere. The flowers will be the periwinkles she’s always dreamed of. The ones she’s going to have Lily, Charles and Happy spread along the ground. She’ll have a enormous bouquet of them. With cornflowers on the cake, and a navy ribbon around it. She’ll make Gray wear a royal blue tie and vest. To match that spark in his eye. 

It’ll be as if the blue skies above Magnolia burst forth from their wedding. With Juvia and Gray as the brightest lights of them all. 

Juvia looks around their house. She’s lit hundreds of candles, she’s even put a few inside water spheres that she’s placed around the room, like shimmering lanterns above her. She’s bought periwinkles and covered the floor with them, so it feels like walking on silk as she steps through them. 

It’s romantic. So very romantic and perfect. 

Perfect. 

It’s all going to be perfect from here on out. 

She hears the door open and smiles broadly. This is it. Their moment. Hers and Gray’s. 

If possible, she smiles brighter when he walks through the door. 

‘Welcome home, Gray-sama,’ she beams. 

‘What’s all this?’ he asks, running a hand through his hair. He’s tired, Juvia can tell but she carries on anyway. Spurred by the momentum of this moment. 

‘Sit down, please, Gray-sama.’ 

He hesitates for a moment, before doing what she asks. He sits a little out of reach, so she scoots over, relishing the feel of the periwinkles against her skin, and takes his hands in hers. Gray looks at her and she knows this is the right choice. 

This is their future. 

Tonight. 

‘Gray-sama, I love you so very much.’ 

Gray goes to interrupt, but she doesn’t give him a chance. 

‘I love you so very much and I want to spend the rest of our lives proving to you that I love you. I want to wake up with you every morning. Go to bed with you every night. Have children with you. Live our lives knowing that every moment is better than the last.’ 

She takes a deep breath and exhales. 

‘Gray, will you marry me?’ 

Gray stands up, and Juvia quickly scrambles up with him. 

‘Gray-sama?’ 

He looks at her and there’s that look again. The one she’s grown to hate. That look of utter disappointment. 

When he walks into the next room, Juvia stands, exactly where she was. Unable to move. 

She breathes. 

In. 

Out. 

In. 

Out. 

In.

Out. 

She stands still when Gray comes out of their room, with a bag. 

When he looks at her again, tears pooling at the corner of his eyes. 

When he comes over and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. 

When he turns away from her. 

When he walks out their door. Her door. 

When he leaves Juvia, Juvia stands and watches. 

Above Magnolia, the skies darken and it starts to rain.


	12. Blue Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juvia's made a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all you awesome people! 
> 
> Well, this is it, the final chapter. 
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with it, reading it and leaving kudos! You're all amazing! 
> 
> I wasn't planning on ending the story here, I had all these plans for what I wanted to do and how I was going to do it, but I wrote this chapter and decided they were all unnecessary. Then I checked with The HaruWhoCanRead, who's been such a big supporter of this all to make sure I wouldn't be murdered violently for ending it to soon, and when they gave me the thumbs up, I knew it was all good. 
> 
> So I hope you've enjoyed it and I hope that this is a satisfying conclusion to it all. 
> 
> Bea xx

Juvia doesn’t cry. 

The skies do that enough for her these days and she’s tired of mirroring it. She doesn’t want to be soaked to the skin by the cold rain that pours down from the clouds and her own eyes. She misses the sun. The warmth. That tingle on her skin.   
Truth be told, she misses Cana. 

She misses Cana more than she ever thought she could, because for so much of her life, Cana was simply a footnote. Loved of course, as all the rest of her family, of Fairy Tail, are but not ever really considered. Nothing more than an interesting side note that Juvia occasionally felt a loyalty towards, but never really a friend. Certainly never someone she thought she could miss. 

Miss this terribly. 

Maybe she isn’t crying because the guilt that’s clawing away inside of her is threatening to burst forth. A torrent that she’s been holding back, even as the skies above her head now darken again. 

She was hurt by Gray. 

So hurt. 

Hurt more than she ever had been, and if she was honest, most of Juvia’s life before Fairy Tail was hurtful. The rude comments, the loneliness, the exclusion, the manipulation…all of those things a memory of her time before Fairy Tail, which had been swept away the minute that Gray saved her life. 

That was the moment that everything changed. 

It was the moment that Juvia decided that she loved Gray with all that she was. 

Looking back on it now, Juvia knows that she was clouded by her earlier experiences. That Gray had been the first person in her life to show her kindness, mercy, even after she’d done her best to kill him. 

Maybe her love for Gray had been for that moment. That moment where he’d shown her mercy. That one gesture had been so powerful, so at odds with everything else that she’d experienced, that maybe, just maybe, she’d fallen in love with that moment rather than Gray himself. 

That she’d created this portrait of Gray and that had clouded her view of him ever since. That he was this prince that would sweep in and banish the grey skies from her life. Freeze over the rain that had soaked her very bones and turn it into snowflakes, each more beautiful than the last. 

Maybe she was in love with the idea of Gray, more than she ever was in Gray. 

She thought about all the time they’d shared. Before it had ended. Before Gray had walked out and never looked back. 

Juvia was a bit naive, she knew that. She never saw anything that might have lead her to believe that Gray would have been anything other than the man she’d dreamed of. Too swept away in her own fantasy. 

She thinks about all those moments again, and makes a decision. 

 

********************************************

 

Juvia realises the futility of her actions as soon as she sets foot in the guildhall. 

She doesn’t have any idea where to go from here. Because the person she’s looking for isn’t here. This means that Juvia has no idea where to look for them. It didn’t occur to her that they might be out on a job, and perhaps that’s her own arrogance. She still hasn’t come to terms with the idea that they might be out on a job, on their own. Without Juvia. 

They take jobs together that’s who they are. 

Were. 

That’s who they were. 

Juvia sighs. 

Mira comes over and asks the question. The one she knows Juvia wants an answer to. 

‘You looking for them right?’ Mira asks handing her a piece of paper. 

Juvia nods. 

‘Thank you,’ she says. 

‘No worries,’ Mira asks, smile bright on her face. 

‘Mira-san, do you know everything that happens in the guild?’ Juvia asks, genuinely curious. 

Mira laughs at that, but doesn’t answer. She simply sweeps away, clearing drinks from in front of Droy and Jet, who seem to be drowning their sorrows. 

Juvia smiles and hurries out the guild door. 

 

********************************************************************

 

Juvia turns around a few times, 

This is a part of Magnolia that she’s never been to, and she’s concerned that the directions she got on her way here weren’t accurate. That she’ll never find the person she’s looking for. 

Her breaths shorten, as she panics a little at the thought. She has to find them. Has to. 

Nothing in her life has been this important than this moment here and now. 

She turns the corner and finds them. 

They’re standing on a point looking out to the sea. The cliff walls hide the small cove that they’re sitting in and Juvia never would have found them if she’d been looking. She suspects that’s the reason they’re to be found here now. 

She walks over a little, and feels it. 

It starts as a warm tingle on her skin. It’s almost non-existent at first, until it feels like someone’s set fire to her whole existence. As if she’s erupted into flames. 

She looks out to the sun, shining brightly as it sets over the coast of Ishgal and smiles. Smiles so brightly that she thinks her face might burst. It wasn’t the moment with Gray that was going to change to her life. For her to rewrite her own destiny. It’s this moment now. This is Juvia’s moment and she so very nearly missed it. 

Missed Cana. 

In every sense. 

She nearly missed Cana. Missed her laugh. Her smile. Her touch. Her warmth. 

She nearly missed the brightness that’s engulfed her life since Cana became something other than a side note or an interesting feature. 

When Cana became Cana. 

‘Cana,’ she calls. 

Cana turns her head, and for a second Juvia’s never seen anything more beautiful. Cana’s hair sweeps around her face, catching the golden light behind her and even with the tears streaming down her face, she’s lustrous. 

Juvia rushes over to her and before she has time to think that this might be the wrong thing. Before she has time to think that maybe she shouldn’t be doing this now. Before she has time to think about Gray again, because he’s not part of this story anymore, she grabs Cana and kisses her. 

Juvia nearly collapses at the sensation of Cana’s lips on hers. That warmth and security that Cana encompass shine through. They’re soft, heated and so very gentle. They’re everything that’s right with this. The two of them and she knows that this is it. This is everything she was always supposed to feel. 

Not awed that someone could look her way, but that someone could make her feel this wonderful. 

They break apart for a moment. 

‘Juvia…’Cana begins. 

Kissing her again, Juvia wraps herself in this sensation. She doesn’t want to talk, not now. She wants to feel like this forever. To feel so utterly cherished. 

Cana pulls away gently. Juvia lets out a shallow breath, feeling a little cold, despite Cana’s arms wrapped around her. 

‘Juvia,’ she says. 

‘Yes?’ Juvia asks, not really paying attention. She’s looking at Cana wondering if it’ll always be like this, this sense of belonging and she hopes more than anything that’s who they’ll be to each other. 

‘Juvia I’m sorry.’ 

‘Juvia knows.’ 

‘I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry that I walked away. I’m sorry for everything,’ Cana says, there’s a hesitation in her voice and Juvia worries about the next words, ‘Are you sure it’s me that you want?’ 

Juvia blinks. 

Blinks again. 

And again. 

It suddenly becomes clear. Cana’s behaviour. Cana herself becomes so clear in this moment and Juvia knows, that maybe this won’t last but she wants Cana to experience this feeling that Juvia has now. That sense of warmth and security. That’s what she wants for Cana’s future, to show her exactly how special she is, because maybe no one in Cana’s life has been that person. Or not that person in the right way. 

Juvia’s decided. This’ll be the two of them. They’ll be that to each other. They’ll make mistakes and fail and do everything else wrong, but it’ll be so right. At the end of the day, they’ll inspire this in each other and that’ll be what matters. 

‘Of course,’ Juvia says, as she kisses Cana again, breaking apart quickly, ‘It was always meant to be you.’ 

The sun sets behind them, the sky aflame and the stars shine brightly down on Magnolia for the first time in 83 days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks all, once again. It's been wonderful writing for you and I have tentative plans for a spin-off to show what Team Natsu have been doing all this time, because that's been in the back of my mind since I started writing this. 
> 
> So hopefully that'll be up in the next few weeks and we can start on a whole new adventure together!


End file.
